


How Things Change, Yet We Remain

by NohrianTomatoes



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: 100 Themes Writing Challenge, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BioShock!au, Childhood Friends, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gen, M/M, Misgendering, OT3: Niles/Takumi/Leo, One-sided pining, Polyamorous relationship, Tangled!AU, Trans!Takumi, asexual!Takumi, at this time: CamiKumi exclusively in BioshockAU, blind!au, minor homophobia, minor racism, pining!Leo, possessed!Takumi - Freeform, siren!au, soulmate!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-03-27 14:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13882494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NohrianTomatoes/pseuds/NohrianTomatoes
Summary: 100 Themes Writing Challenge: A collective of mostly Leo/Takumi stories. Some stories may have more than one part; I'll be sure to group those chapters together here in the summary. Certain chapters may have more specific warnings, so keep an eye out for chapter notes.Siren!AU : Ch.3, Ch. 6, Ch. 10Tangled!AU : Ch. 8, Ch. 15Bioshock!AU : Ch. 12, Ch. 13, Ch. 14





	1. Blink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never did they think meeting in person would change so much.
> 
> Soulmate!AU; blind!AU;

Leo closed his eyes. This… wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real. All of those stories had just been superstition and folklore and tales to make sense of those few people in their world who were different. He closed his eyes and welcomed the familiar scene of nothingness, the embrace of black comfort he had known all his life. Everything was too bright, shining and purifying and Leo was frightened his eyes would burn right from his head if he had another peek.“Leo?” the voice across from him was shaky, filled with nervous tension and Leo couldn’t bear to leave him hanging any longer.

“I- I’m here Takumi,” his hand reached forward, shaky and grasping. His gauge was just a little off, slipping from Takumi’s shoulder to his arm, but Leo gripped tight, “I’m here. It’s- it’s going to be okay.” How could he say that when he couldn’t even open his eyes to see the boy before him. Leo had been so nervous about this meeting, this chance to see if his lack of faith would be rewarded, but all his expectations were falling right before him.

“Leo, open your eyes,” Takumi said, his hands gripping tight at Leo’s arms. They were tight and secure and Leo could feel energy pulsing between them. It was palpable, the tension in the air, but Leo couldn’t make Takumi wait any further. His eyes opened slowly, squinting at first before he began to focus.

“It’s bright,” Leo said softly, blinking back the tears welling in his eyes, “I… I didn’t think it would be this bright.”

“I- I know,” Takumi chuckled, voice soft as he stared forward at Leo, “I’ve always felt the sun, but I never thought it would actually- Leo it’s beautiful- _you’re_ beautiful.”

“Gods you were never this sappy on the phone,” Leo groaned, shutting his eyes and shaking his head.

“I can see you blushing,” Takumi’s fingertips were gentle on his face, stroking slowly over the redness of his skin, “I didn’t know your skin was so fair. Don’t you ever go outside?”

“You know I don’t,” Leo pushed away from Takumi, but only for a second. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Takumi, but he couldn’t bear to be so publicly embarrassed. It wasn’t like anyone noticed- students wandering around the bench and all but ignoring the sappy couple fawning so completely over each other. Earlier in the week, Leo had been on that same schedule, so caught up in his classes to even worry about this meeting with Takumi, a meeting he didn’t want to think would change his life.

No one in Nohr could see- not just in Nohr, but in this part of the world period. As a child Leo’s father had told him it was the First Dragons who denied humans sight in exchange for magic, but he had written it off. It was just an explanation for the way things were. The stories about lovers finding each other and their sight were pure speculation- no one he knew had ever experienced the so-called miracle, so why would he?

Takumi had told him the stories were the same in Hoshido, that the arrogance of humans believing they could control dragons with their magic had rendered them blind, but he too had been skeptical. In a way, that was how he and Leo had met, on a groupchat debating the truth or fiction of old world religion and its ties to modern day culture. Time had gone on and the two began to speak frequently and privately until Takumi broke the news he was coming to Nohr for a college visit- conveniently the exact same college Leo had been at for a year.

“Do you feel like a dumbass now?” Takumi couldn’t help but laugh, his hands cupping Leo’s face and squeezing lightly, “Does this mean we were wrong?”

“Nice to see you’re always such a dick,” Leo blinked once, twice, and laughed as well. He pulled Takumi forward, their foreheads pressing together. “I don’t want to talk about how wrong I was,” he muttered, “maybe about how wrong _you_ were. You’re a lot more beautiful than you said you are.”

“I’m the only person you’ve seen dumbass, you can’t just say things like that,” nonetheless Takumi’s cheeks were aflame, bright and warm and Leo copied his actions, cupping his face and holding him close.

“I don’t care,” Leo said, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, “you’re absolutely beautiful.”

“So now you get to be the sappy one?” Takumi giggled, kissing Leo again, “Dork.”


	2. Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi is an ugly crier
> 
> Revelations!verse;

Takumi knows he’s an ugly crier. It’s why he tries so hard to keep the tears to his room, at night when no one will think to bother him and laugh at how bad their prince looks with red-rimmed eyes and snot dripping from his nose. It doesn’t help that he’s so damn emotional. Even after decades of refining himself, there were certain triggers that hit his heart just right and started the fountain.

His son’s wedding was one of them. 

If anyone would have asked Takumi if Kiragi would have married, he would have said no and made some remark about the boy being too wrapped up in hunting expeditions to care about love or marriage. Yet here he was, holding tightly to Selkie’s hand, that radiant smile showing brightly on his face. Takumi felt the tears welling in his eyes before the ceremony had even reached its peak, and by the time the two were exchanging shots of sake, Takumi was trying to stifle his sobbing in the sleeve of his kimono.

There was a hand on his back, offering some comfort, but Takumi decided to ignore his husband for the time being. Surely Leo would poke fun at him later when they had all gathered for the festival and Hinoka was doing her best to tease her little brother. Takumi wiped at his eyes, taking the handkerchief Leo offered and blowing into it, trying to keep the noise down. Sakura made for a fantastic priest, her soft voice lulling the crowd and keeping the ceremony as light and beautiful as the sun streaking in through the treetops and the last thing Takumi wanted was to ruin this moment with his awful sobbing.

When the pair was presented to the crowd as newlyweds, Takumi’s resolve crumbled and he began choking out loud sobs, chest heaving and shoulders shaking as he tried to cover his face and hide in Leo’s chest. There was a chuckle from his husband, a light punch from his own fist, and Takumi was certain he could hear Ryoma’s laugh from further down the row.

“You know, I made a bet with Elise that you’d make it to the end of the service,” Leo’s voice was quiet, reassuring in tone even if his words agitated the smaller of the two, “Does this count? Do you think I’ll have to pay her?”

“Jackass,” Takumi grumbled once he found his breath, leaning away to wipe his face with another kerchief Leo seemed to magically produce, “ugh… I didn’t expect it to be so- so bad.” He sneezed into the cloth before blowing his nose, quickly hiding the rag to wave at his son as he passed by. Kiragi himself, though beaming, also had red-rimmed eyes and flushed cheeks. Takumi wonders if he should be glad his son isn’t ugly crying- because if anyone is better at it than him, it’s Kiragi- but it seems fitting. Selkie presses a feather-light kiss to her husband’s cheek, causing him to smile more and wipe at his eyes, and Leo once again begins to rub at Takumi’s back.

“I’m surprised you didn’t cry like this at our wedding,” he muses, fingers brushing gently at the nape of Takumi’s neck, playing with a loose hair, “If I recall, you sobbed like this the night before.”

“Yeah I was getting married to you,” sarcasm was hard when his nose was so stuffed, “of course I was crying.” He ignored the eye-roll from Leo, noting his husband was clearly feeling this moment more than he let on, and let out a soft sigh.

“I just can’t wait to see you at Forrest’s wedding,” Takumi mused, “I can’t tell who’ll be worse, you or Laslow.”

“Shut up,” Leo shook his head, “I’d never cause such a public display like this. Unlike you, I’m actually in control of my emotions.”

“Says the guy who nearly burnt a desk after stubbing his toe-”

“That was one time and I had been up for two days straight!” Leo’s voice raises a bit too much, but by this time the couple has moved past and the soft murmurs of the crowd cover his mistake. Takumi smirks, knocking his knuckles against Leo’s chest before standing up a bit more straight.

“You’re going to be weeping just as bad, admit it,” he sniffled, finding an unused corner of the cloth to wipe his nose again. Takumi took Leo’s free hand, squeezing it softly before looking up at his husband. “Don’t worry, we can be crybaby’s together,” he said with a gentle smile, leaning up to kiss Leo lightly. Before they parted to follow Kiragi and Selkie to the reception Takumi played with Leo’s fingers, moving them slowly and carefully with a wistful sort of look on his face. Leo smiled for a moment, warmth in his chest at seeing his husband looking so happy, and leaned forward to kiss his brow.

Takumi gave a soft chuckle, sniffling once more before he unceremoniously dropped the dirty rag into Leo’s hand.

“Thanks, love,” he whispered, quickly kissing Leo’s cheek before movings backward. Takumi giggled, chest light, and disappeared into the crowd to find his son before Leo could reprimand his actions.


	3. Sharp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo meets a boy with sharp teeth and claws but can’t find it in him to be frightened. 
> 
> Siren!AU: Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter that’s part of a continuing plot line. I’ll be sure to link further chapters in the story summary.

Leo hated the beach. He hated the awful sunshine and the sand that would get lodged in his sandals and most importantly he hated the water- the way it stung his eyes, the way it made his skin feel sticky and worst of all, the way it ruined his books.

“Then don’t bring books to the beach,” Leo mocked his sister, crossing his arms. He kicked a stone into the surf, watching the storm clouds gather in the distance. The fact the sun was hiding behind them was the only reason the small child was out. His skin burnt too quickly otherwise. After such a harrowing argument with his sister (“No, wyverns aren’t fun to fly!”), Leo had few places else he could turn where he wouldn’t be found almost immediately. The library was always the first place searched and the garden was quickly becoming overrun with concerned sisters trying to appease their baby brother.

Picking up another stone, Leo chucked it as far as he could. The resounding splash was cathartic and Leo scooped up a handful of pebbles to keep throwing. Each thud and thunk made him smile just a little more, and the young prince was soon toddling off to find better skipping stones. Leo strayed further down the coast, his gaze quickly caught by the washed-up shells and sea glass smoothed out by consistent waves. Soon his hands were full of trinkets, the prince smiling excitedly. Having already forgot about the argument which sent him out here, Leo turned on his heel and ran back to the castle to show off all his little treasures. Surely Corrin and Elise would love these!

Being the clumsy child he was, Leo completely missed the shape lying on the sand just before him and proceeded to trip and spill everything out onto the ground. Whining, Leo turned around and proceeded to kick the stump, causing a resounding “ow!” to be heard. Wait, what?

“Who are you? What are you doing on my beach?” Leo shouted, pushing himself back. Rather than being effective, sand simply bunched up around his sandals and dug the prince deeper into the sand.

“What do you mean your beach? It’s my beach!” the shape growled, struggling to sit up. Leo frowned, glaring at the boy before him, “You’re the one who tripped on me! I was just…”

“Taking a nap?” Leo asked, raising an eyebrow. There was something unsettling about this boy, but Leo couldn’t quite put a finger on it. He… looked mostly normal. Stories of fey and merfolk abducting children crossed his mind, causing the hair on his arms to stand up. This unorthodox sort of meeting could just be a fluke, but Leo was weary.

“I just got tired, okay?” The boy turned his face away from Leo, staring out at the sea. His long, silver hair- hair longer than Leo had ever seen on a boy- was plastered with sand and pebbles. “Can’t I take a nap without getting stepped on?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t just sleep on the beach then,” Leo frowned, brushing the sand off of his legs, “you made me spill all of my shells- and I cut my knee!”

“Don’t be such a baby, it’s just a scratch,” the boy turned back to look at Leo and suddenly the prince froze. His skin was much too pale, even more so than his own, and the way his eyes glowed, like molten gold-

“Y-you’re not human!” Leo tried to push himself back further but his feet slipped again, digging small holes in the sand, “get away from me! You can’t be on my beach!”

“Way to point out the obvious,” the boy rolled his eyes, or what Leo thought was rolling his eyes, “like I said, this isn’t your beach, it’s mine. My family rules the seas, so we get the beach too.” He pushed himself up further, trying to scoot away from Leo. He looked to be trying to push himself back to the water, but he was having the same issues of the sand sinking around his hands. Leo frowned, following the shape of his body to see what he had been hoping wouldn’t be.

“Are you… a mermaid?” Leo asked softly, momentarily bolstered by the fact that he was so damn curious, “I- I’ve read about your kind-”

“Is that what you call us?” the boy asked, not seeming interested in Leo at all. He sighed, sitting up the best he could and grabbing his hair in his hands. It didn’t take long for him to tie it up, Leo watching his actions before nodding his head.

“Y-yeah, it is. You look human on top, and fish on the bottom-”

“That’s a lie,” the boy frowned- well, it looked more like a scowl than a frown, “We look like dolphins- well, some of us do. Papa looked like an orca. He could smash anything in his way! Even those big ships you humans like to put in our waters.” The boy tried scooting down further to the surf, but the receding tide had left him further back than before.

“You crush our ships? But that’s…” Leo had thought mermaids too small to do something like that, but maybe they were more clever than the books had said. “Whatever. But just because you have ownership of the sea doesn’t make this beach yours- my father rules the land here and-”

“So you humans get the beach? I don’t think that’s fair,” the boy began to scoot forward again, letting out a frustrated groan. He scooped up a handful of pebbles, throwing them towards the water, “dammit! I didn’t think I’d be here so long…”

“Do you… need help?” Now that he wasn’t trying to scurry away, Leo had an easier time getting up, “I can help you get back in the water.”

“You? A skinny little human? You’re not going to be able to move me, I’m easily twice your weight,” as he said this, the boy gave a futile flap of his tail. It was a deep gray color, a few shades darker than his hair, with small stripes of pink and gold running along the sides. Leo brushed off his shorts, wincing a bit from the sight of blood dripping down his knee, but he stood stubbornly in place.

“I can do it, okay? Or do you want me to get someone else to-”

“No, no! No one else,” the boy quickly said, glaring up at Leo. He looked more afraid than angry, but the young prince supposed it was for good reason. His father had no qualms with killing humans, let alone creatures like a siren or mermaid. In fact, he was certain he had overheard stories of such victories whenever his father was in one of his rare good moods.

“Then work with me,” Leo said, looking around the beach, “Can you lay on your belly?” The mermaid gave a nod, shifting his weight so he was lying on his stomach.

“Like this? How’s this supposed to help?” Leo didn’t answer, instead running around the beach to gather driftwood. There weren’t as many logs as he’d been hoping- well, at least not enough that weren’t too heavy to drag back to the stranded boy.

“Here,” Leo said, feeling a raindrop hit the crown of his head, “put it under your body. Then you can push with your arms and you’ll roll easier into the water.” Leo quickly ran off for another piece of driftwood, hoping he’d be able to help the boy back into the ocean before the storm picked up.

With a few more pieces placed under the mermaid (merman he supposed? Leo wasn’t quite sure, they had all been females in his stories), Leo looked up, “Are you ready?” A nod was given and soon the two were working in tangent, the boy clawing his way closer to the surf with Leo pushing from behind. It was slow-going, with the boy yelping every time the wood poked into his stomach funny, but it seemed like Leo’s plan was going to work.

That was, until the sand got too soft and instead sunk under the logs. The water was to his feet, close enough that Leo was certain they’d made it, but the boy groaned instead.

“Dammit this isn’t gonna work! How am I supposed to get the rest of the way in?” He clawed forward, hair beginning to fall from his bun, but little ground was covered. It was Leo’s turn to frown, the rain beginning to soak into his clothes, and he rolled his sleeves up.

“Take my hand,” he said, standing in front of the boy, “You have to push with your tail, but I’ll try to pull you closer.”

“You’re not gonna-”

“Just shut up and do it!” Leo shouted a little louder, “if you wait any longer the storm’s gonna push you back up onto shore, just do it!” The boy narrowed his eyes, sharp teeth showing in his sneer, but he grabbed tight to Leo’s outstretched hands and began to pull.

Sharp claws dug into Leo’s skin, the mermaid scrambling for purchase as the rain continued to fall, drawing out a whimper from the prince. The saltwater splashed up, stinging his knee and soon his arms, but Leo began to pull instead of letting go. The sand slipped beneath his sandals, sticking between his toes and making it harder for him to pull but Leo refused to give up. Maybe he was too nice, maybe he was too stubborn, but it didn’t really matter. He was going to see this through regardless.

There was a moment where Leo thought he may be stuck doing this forever, fighting against the building waves all to save a creature he didn’t know a thing about. Maybe the mermaid would steal him away and take him back for food, or maybe he would drown in the surf while the other boy dried out on land. It wasn’t like they were making obvious progress, just struggling under the force of water and loose sand and gravity before something finally gave.

Leo fell backwards, splashing into the water with a shout. He scrambled up only to be drawn back by the riptide. Leo only had moments to draw in breath before being sucked down, the shore quickly disappearing, and he thought once and for all about how much he hated the ocean.

Saltwater stung his eyes, so he clamped them shut and tried to splash his way to the surface. A lead weight held around his legs, pulling him down, and Leo opened his mouth to give an involuntary scream. Of course he was right, this monster was going to drown him and eat him for dinner!

“Stop moving so much,” the voice was distorted underwater, only coherent by some force Leo figured was magic, but it offered him little relief. It wasn’t until he was thrust above the surface and breathing in gulps of air that Leo’s heart began to settle.

The boy popped his head up beside Leo, hair loose and flowing in the choppy water. While Leo struggled to keep afloat, legs thrashing and arms waving beneath the surface, it was clear he was completely out of his element. The boy, however, bobbed along with the waves, simply staring at Leo before flashing a toothy grin. A very sharp, toothy grin.

“Thanks! I didn’t think you’d be able to actually do anything, but you saved my butt,” the boy chuckled, a bit of an awkward sound from his raspy voice, but Leo found it somewhat endearing. It helped take his mind off the falling rain and fact that the shore still seemed so very far away, “I’m Takumi, by the way.”

“Leo-” he gasped out after a ragged breath, pushing with his strength to just keep his head above water.

“Oh, yeah, you’re not very good at swimming,” Takumi pointed out, wrapping his hands around the prince’s waist, “I guess I should return the favor. I can’t take you all the way to land, but you should be able to get close enough to get out yourself. Just don’t let the tide get you.” And off they were, swimming parallel with the coast before Takumi began heading towards it. The angle was deep and slanted, making it easier for Takumi to swim with the water and not get pulled against the riptide like Leo had so easily. If he wasn’t in a struggle for his life, Leo would have been jealous.

“Alright, I can see the bottom now. You should keep going sideways, and brace when the tide draws back, ok?” Takumi instructed, his grip on Leo’s side loosening.

“How do you know?” Leo asked, wary of testing his own strength again.

“It’s how my brother and sister catch fish sometimes. Well, they brace when the tide goes in, so I guess it’s just backwards for you humans. Good luck!” And with that Leo was unceremoniously dumped back on his own, his arms once again flailing about to keep himself upright. While the waves crashed higher, pushing him closer to shore, the tide drawing back took every bit of strength his little body could muster just to keep from being swept back to sea.

It wasn’t until Leo was kneeling on the shore, coughing and shaking, that he realized he was safe once more. The sounds of his siblings shouting could be heard in the distance. Leo turned around, staring at the choppy, gray waters for any idea of where the boy could have disappeared off to, but Takumi had slipped away silently.

“Leo!” Corrin was the first on the scene, her arms wrapping tightly around her brother’s smaller frame, “what were you doing in the water? Didn’t you know it was going to storm?” She held him close, his hands holding tight to her arms, as Camilla and Xander rushed beside them. Leo was lost in a flurry of voices scolding and comforting as his family ushered him back to the castle, but he was more interested in the slow and haunting song that drifted in on the breeze. It was familiar, something melancholy and somber without being hopeless all at once. Leo tried to catch the words but they melted quickly in the whipping wind, drowned out by waves crashing and raindrops hitting stone.


	4. Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi just wants to be cute, that’s all!
> 
> Revalations!verse

Takumi was panicking. Okay, so when was that different from any other time in his life? It wasn’t, but this felt like a whole new level of panic. Sure there was that time he forgot the Fujin Yumi out in the rain, or the time when his little sister disappeared for an entire day, but this was something else entirely. This was… a relationship.

The idea of it all still made him feel giddy and nauseous at the same time. A relationship? As in someone wanted to spend time with him exclusively? Apparently so. Even for all the flaws this ‘relationship’ had, Takumi had never felt closer to another person. Leo certainly was something else.

Infuriating was always the first word to come to mind. Even after they had set aside petty differences like their nationalities, Takumi couldn’t forget all the times they argued about more benign things like what kind of weather counted as a “good day” and which soups were the best for recovering from a flu. It was always a back and forth thing, his little arguments with Leo, but even if they weren’t filled with malicious intent Takumi still couldn’t shake all of his initial thoughts about Leo. The way he could creep under his skin with just a few words to dismantle his argument absolutely bothered Takumi.

Then there was… everything else. The sweet little notes Leo would write between battles, passing them along to Takumi while they were secluded in the archives of this strange world. The treats Leo would swear he didn’t ask anyone to make for him but would somehow find their way to Takumi’s tent between lunch and dinner- always something Hoshidan, like mochi or red-bean filled rolls. And the- oh he couldn’t even think of it without blushing. Just the way Leo kissed him made Takumi feel like he could actually take on the world. It was the only time in his life when the pounding of his heart was warm and welcomed.

Takumi sat up, fingers bunching up in the cloth of his pants. He had to do something sweet for Leo, something to show he really cared about the blonde. He was so absolutely awful at saying nice things without messing up, so a gift would have to do. But what kind of gift? Would he bake Leo something Nohrian in return for all those treats he had been given? Or maybe write a small book of poems- no, definitely not that. Even if he had time to think about what he wanted to say, words still weren’t his strong suit. Leo wasn’t some petty Hoshidan noble who could be won over with a few nice compliments. This had to be something truly special.

Takumi found his chance to put a plan into action after Corrin stated they’d have a week of rest. While Valla was filled with danger, this pocket dimension Corrin had found was safer than any camp they could have made in the even stranger outside world. There were a few missions he and Leo were to be called for- helping Hinata find his son in a deeprealm would be one of them- but for the most part they were given this time to themselves. And so began Takumi’s plan.

“Why are you being so amicable?” Leo asked, shooing Niles out of his tent as to have some semblance of privacy with Takumi, “you’ve been saying nice things to me all day, it’s quite strange. Do you need to see a healer?”

“Shut up, it’s not been that weird,” Takumi felt his blood rush to his cheeks as he helped Leo remove his armor, already changed for the day himself, “Can’t I say nice things to my, uh… my boyfriend?”

“If it were anyone else I’d say yes, but you usually get too flustered before you can actually get anything out,” Leo commented, rolling his shoulders after the heavy metal was removed, “I’m surprised you were actually able to say anything at all-”

“Don’t be an ass, I’m trying to be nice to you today,” Takumi pushed at Leo’s back, knocking the blond forward a bit. He bit his lip, but Leo smiled, shaking his head.

“Your version of being nice is still a little strange. First you volunteer to do my patrols- which you know is not allowed- and then you say you’re going to help me with my armor rather than Niles. Are you just getting jealous of my retainers?” Leo holds his arms out as Takumi works to undo the straps holding everything in place.

“I’m just trying to do nice things, okay? This is stuff I’d want someone to do for me, so forgive me if it doesn’t exactly suit your needs,” Takumi’s voice is low, a bit of a grumble as he pulls one strap. It pinches Leo a little, causing the blond to yelp, but the glare following isn’t enough to keep Takumi from laughing as he pulls off the arm guards.

“Sorry, sorry,” he massages the area softly, leaning over to press a kiss to Leo’s cheek, “maybe I should just focus on this, hm?” He feels strangely bold today, maybe because everything was already planned out in advance or maybe just because the Dawn dragon was giving him a damn break for the first time in his life.

“You stink, by the way,” Takumi says nonchalantly, moving to help Leo out of the portion of armor covering his legs, “Good thing I booked a spot in the bath houses. Wouldn’t want you to go to dinner smelling like you rolled in horse shit.”

“How embarrassing,” Leo pushed at Takumi’s head, “you say you’re here to compliment me and do nice things for me and this is what I get instead?”

“Do you want to finish taking off your armor?” Takumi looked up, raising an eyebrow. When Leo is silent, a bit of a frown on his lips, he nods and resumes his work, “That’s what I thought.” Although Takumi made the decision to help Leo out of his armor, he has no desire to actually clean any of it and is thankful when Niles is found still outside of the Nohrian tent.

“Don’t worry about this, milord, I’d polish your armor any time you ask,” Niles gives what Takumi believes is a wink, causing him to blush more than Leo and the retainer quickly turns his attention to Takumi, “yours too, Lord Takumi-”

“Okay, that’s enough, thanks Niles!” Takumi quickly pulls Leo out of the tent despite his protests that he’s not in suitable attire.

“I have robes already at the bath house, don’t worry,” Takumi felt his grip on Leo’s hand tighten, his heart pounding all the way in his throat. It didn’t matter how long they had been together or how at ease everything seemed between the Nohrian and Hoshidan armies, Takumi still found himself nervous whenever he was in public with Leo.

“The baths aren’t going anywhere Takumi,” Leo pulled a bit, reigning Takumi back a bit, “You know Niles isn’t going to hurt you, right? He’s a bit crude, but he’d never actually bring you harm.”

“It’s not the harming thing I’m worried about,” Takumi refused to look at Leo, still making his way towards the bathhouse, “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to his way of speaking. It’s just so… Nohrian.”

“So you’d prefer if I spoke like that more?” Leo teased, causing Takumi’s throat to close up before he could make a response. Surely in the dead of night where no one could hear them that sort of thing was appropriate but Takumi was certain he’d die on the spot if Leo ever made an innuendo in front of any member of the army- Niles included.

“No! Of course-” Takumi’s voice has risen about an octave and a half and only the concerned looks of foot soldiers cause him to hiss back at Leo in a quieter tone, “Of course not! Do you want to give me a heart attack?”

“You seem adept at doing that to yourself, love,” Leo hadn’t lost his teasing tone, instead gripping Takumi’s hand a little tighter, “all I need to do is hold your hand or give you a kiss and you’re already melting.”

“H-hey,” Takumi finally got his legs moving again, pulling Leo along, “No sweet talking, I’m supposed to be the nice one today.”

“Are you sure you don’t want more compliments my sweet-”

“Nope! Definitely fine without them! No need to keep teasing me, love,” Takumi opened the door to the bathhouse, relief hitting his bones like the steam billowing out. He quickly pulled Leo inside, shut the door, and grabbed his face in his hands.

“Like I said, I’m being the nice one today,” Takumi wasn’t sure how to keep his beating heart down and just hoped Leo couldn’t hear it hammering away in his chest. He leaned forward, thumb running lightly across Leo’s cheek before pressing their lips together.

“But why?” Leo and his ever present need to question things was there to ruin their cute moment. Takumi pulled away, pouting before pulling Leo along once more.

“Does it matter? I just want to do nice things for you, okay?” Takumi was muttering under his breath, just loud enough for Leo to hear, but the blond wasn’t happy with that answer. He stopped, causing Takumi to jerk back some before letting out an impatient whine.

“I’m curious, okay? Will you indulge me that at least?” Leo pulled at Takumi’s hand again, stepping forward to be closer to him, “Love?”

“Gods you’re intolerable,” Takumi flushed at the nickname, pushing at Leo’s chest weakly, “It can’t be enough that I just want to?”

“You’re too clever to do this for shits and giggles,” Leo hummed, wrapping an arm around Takumi’s waist. Takumi refused to look at Leo, his head turned to the side, “So what’s the real reason, huh? Are you buttering me up for something?”

“N-no, nothing like that,” Takumi muttered, biting his lip before his shoulders went slack, “I just… you’re always doing cute things for me Leo. I want to do something cute for you too sometimes.”

When Leo was silent Takumi looked up, surprised to see a blush glowing bright on his face. Feeling bold, Takumi smiled and stood up straight, leaning on his tip toes and pressing another kiss to his lips.

“I… I love you, Leo,” Takumi couldn’t keep from beaming, his cheeks burning from smiling so much, “I wanted to show you that somehow-”

“I love you too Takumi,” Leo shifted, cupping Takumi’s face in his hands before kissing him again, “you’re… you’re the only beautiful thing this war has brought into my life.”

“Don’t one up me,” Takumi giggled, pulling closer to Leo, “I already told you it was my turn to be all sweet and gross today. So… c’mon.” He kissed Leo again before pulling back, grabbing his hands, “It’ll just be us in here, so I can- uh, w-well-”

“Hm? Oh do go on, my sweet and precious Takumi, you can what?” Leo teased, poking Takumi’s back as they walked into the hot springs.

“N-nothing! You’re getting nothing if you act like that!”


	5. Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an attack on their army, Takumi struggles to feel normal
> 
> May turn into a multi-part series. Maybe not.  
> Revalations!AU;

It’s a quiet day when everything starts to fall apart. Valla is a strange land where not much makes sense, so Leo guesses this falls under the kind of strange magic that would be possible in a land like this. For someone in their own ranks to fall so suddenly… No, no, he would be okay. He was resting now in Corrin’s little pocket world. He would be alright.

“Leo?” his voice is soft, cracked and dry after all that awful screaming, “Where… am I?”

“We brought you back to the castle. Here,” Leo picks up a glass of water, moving to Takumi’s side to help him drink it, “don’t sit up too fast, I’ll help you.” Neither of them are blushing over Takumi’s bare chest now, not with how serious everything suddenly felt.

“What happened? A-all I heard was screaming and-” Takumi narrowed his eyes when Leo motioned for him to drink rather than speak, obeying enough to drink half the glass before he winced. “Was- was I screaming?”

Leo remains silent for another moment, watching Takumi’s actions before urging him to finish his water. After setting the cup down, he began to wring his hands, feet curled under the chair he was resting in.

“You started screaming, and then… passed out,” Leo said, glancing out the door before looking back at Takumi, “we got you back as soon as we could, but… a fight broke out.”

“Did the Vallans find us?” Takumi’s hands were gripping at the sheets. Even lying down he was tense, his jaw set as the imagined scenario played before him.

“I doubt it was because of you, Takumi,” Leo put a hand on Takumi’s, offering a small smile. He pulled back, however, worrying his lip for a moment before speaking again, “Azura thinks they found us before you… She thinks they attacked us first. Attacked you first. Everything else happened while we were moving you out.”

“Is anyone hurt?” Takumi asked softly, now staring at the ceiling. Leo knew the last thing he wanted was for someone to have fallen because of him.

“It was a hard battle, but we prevailed. Long enough to escape, at least. Corrin has called for rest while the Vallans are on the move so we don’t fall into another trap so soon. You should rest,” Leo stood, bending over to kiss Takumi’s forehead. When he didn’t get any protest, Leo frowned, leaning back with a hand on Takumi’s shoulder.

Red eyes glared back at him, cold and unfocused, and Leo felt his stomach churn. There was hatred burning in those eyes, contempt and murder written plainly on Takumi’s face. Leo’s grip tightened, pushing at Takumi as he jerked back.

In a second it was over, Takumi’s sleepy gaze blinking up at Leo. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, wiggling from side to side to get more comfortable, “you should rest too, if you fought so hard in that battle. Oh… can you have someone bring me more water? My head is killing me.” Leo stood still for a moment before nodding, turning quickly and leaving. It had to be fatigue from the fight, that was all. Even so, that glare was familiar, burning deep in the back of his mind.

 

 

Leo holds tight to Takumi’s sleeping form. It’s been a few days since he was attacked and after no symptoms seemed to arise, Takumi had finally been allowed out of the infirmary. While everyone knew he had been sneaking out at night to practice with his bow or run laps, the overall excuse of the attack had been enough for Sakura and Elise to insist that Takumi stay for a little more rest. Leo couldn’t agree more. Having Takumi safe and protected was never a bad idea.

Gentle snoring came from Takumi’s lips, Leo able to feel the rising and falling of his chest as they cuddled close together. The situation was usually flipped, with Leo being the one sound asleep, but too many thoughts buzzed in his mind. While Takumi was deemed to have made a full recovery, persistent headaches still bothered the prince. Takumi had written them off, stating that before they had come to Villa that had been a common occurrence, but Leo still finds it odd.

Takumi’s breath hitches, an obvious sign he’s dreaming, and Leo finds himself holding his breath for the next moment or so. The question of this being a nightmare didn’t need to be asked, he simply knew it was no use trying to shake Takumi out of it.

“ _He doesn’t love you_ ,” the voice almost sounds foreign, a harsh whisper only barely discernible as Takumi’s, “ _he hates Hoshido, and he hates you._ ”

“Takumi,” Leo ignores the words of whatever seems to be leaving Takumi’s lips. At least he tries to. Was Takumi speaking out his dream? Was he speaking to himself, or was there someone else his mind had conjured up to tell these lies?

Rather than responding, Takumi simply whimpers. He curls his knees up, pulling tight into himself, and Leo sits up slowly. Setting a hand on Takumi’s shoulder, Leo shakes him lightly.

“Takumi, it’s a nightmare,” he said softly, brushing long strands of hair away from Takumi’s face, “it’s nothing true-“

“ _He’s a liar, Takumi. A filthy Nohrian prince who tricked you into loving him.”_ Leo frowns, his lips pulled tight at the sound of foreign words in his lover’s mouth. For a moment he wonders if this is a dream, but even so, he won’t let Takumi be lied to like this.

“Wake up Takumi,” Leo tries again, moving Takumi’s shoulder to try and shake him awake once more. His eyes shoot open and for a moment Leo thinks he’s won, but when he sees the same blood red glare from before his blood freezes in his veins. “Takumi-“

“ _He isn’t yours to play with anymore,_ ” Leo feels absolutely repulsed by the tone of Takumi’s voice, something ancient and cold ringing through those words. When he opens his mouth to speak, to try and cast a counter curse, a hand is grasping at his throat. Leo is shoved back against the bed, Takumi’s form looming over him.

“ _I will no longer be silenced,_ ” Takumi takes a raspy breath, as if it hurts him to speak for this long, “ _your love for this boy will be his undoing._ ” Leo feels his pulse throbbing at his throat, the desire to vomit growing stronger every second Takumi is choking him like this. Rather than pushing, Takumi seems to be leaning his weight upon him, crushing his windpipe and making his vision go blurry.

Takumi grins, eyes narrowing and he leans close, drinking in the sight before him. Right as Leo is certain he is going to pass out, golden eyes blink back at him, dazed and disoriented from their sudden waking. Leo tries to choke out something- anything to alert Takumi as to what he’s doing, but the prince soon realizes on his own.

“Leo!” Takumi pulls his hand back, holding it against his body as if it will reach out again to strangle his lover. Leo immediately begins coughing, gasping and filling his lungs as much as he can before he scrambles up. “Leo I- w-what-“ Takumi seems at a loss for words, tears welling up in his eyes as he stands up.

“Takumi,” Leo says, voice hoarse as he reaches for Takumi, “s-sit down. It was-“

“It wasn’t just a nightmare!” He shouts, eyes wide as he stares at Leo, “I was hurting you!” Leo wonders for a moment if Takumi had been seeing the exact same scene through his eyes, but he doesn’t have time to ponder that. Instead, he stands, taking a cautious step towards his lover.

“Please sit down,” Leo said softly. Takumi pulled back another step, still gripping his arm close. He shook his head, shoulders shaking in the cool air, but Leo remained adamant. “You can’t just run off, Takumi. Sit down and… we can talk about this-“ Leo wonders for a moment if he sounds too stoic, too put together after having just been choked so bad, but he can’t worry about that as well. With a past like his own, this wasn’t the worst situation he had been through.

“I… I don’t want to talk,” Takumi said softly, finally looking away from Leo, “I… I’m exhausted…” his shoulders slump forward, head hanging defeated as he stood in place, feet shifting underneath him. Takumi looked like a child being reprimanded, still obviously shaking from all the nervous energy pent up within him.

“Then just sit with me,” Leo said softly, reaching his hand out, “we don’t have to talk. I just don’t want you to run off and hurt yourself.” He brushed gently against Takumi’s arm, trying to coax him back to bed. While the Hoshidan prince jumped at the contact, he didn’t push Leo away. Slowly Leo guided Takumi back to bed, grabbing the blanket and covering his shoulders with it.

They sat in silence together, until the birds began chirping in the distance, and Leo looked to the side, hoping for a moment that Takumi had fallen asleep. Instead, he was still awake, staring blankly at his hands. Leo watched as a tear fell every now and again, dripping slowly along his cheek before falling from his chin and onto his palms.

“Takumi,” Leo was quiet, barely making a sound as he shifted closer to Takumi, “hey… don’t… don’t overthink this.”

“How the fuck am I not supposed to overthink this? I woke up choking you Leo. You could have died and it would have been my fault!” Leo remains still, knowing it’s best to let Takumi express himself fully, “This isn’t some inconvenience Leo, I almost took your life! And you’re asking me to not overthink this?!”

“You weren’t…. you weren’t yourself Takumi,” Leo is certain now he sounds too calm, his shoulders still bunched together in anticipation. Of what, he isn’t quite sure.

“Really? Because if anyone else had walked in and seen us, they would have said it was me choking you,” Takumi had a fierce look on his face, reminding Leo for a moment of their past arguments.

“Takumi there was something else-“ Leo bit his lip, stopping mid-sentence. Would he sound crazy if he brought up what he had seen? What he had heard? “I-it wasn’t you.”

“You’re making shit up to protect me,” Takumi groaned, pulling the blanket tighter around himself, “you don’t have to hide the truth, I was caught in the damn act.”

Leo remained silent for a moment, his foot tapping against the floor, “Something else was speaking through you. It… it happened before, when you were first brought in. I thought I had been seeing things but-“

“You were,” Takumi said coldly, gripping his elbows tightly, “N-nothing is wrong with me- I mean, fuck-“

“You’re not good at lying,” Leo said plainly, setting a hand onto Takumi’s shoulder, “has something else been happening?”

Takumi suddenly fell quiet. He was crying again, slow tears dripping down his face and staining the blankets covering the two of them. Leo lets him have this silence, knowing that pushing too hard always resulted in Takumi leaving prematurely.

“I… I haven’t been feeling well,” he said softly, still refusing to look at Leo, “the headaches… they’re really bad this time… I- I keep-“ Takumi bit his lip, shaking his head. Leo watched as loose strands of hair fell to frame his face. Leo reached forward, slowly tucking hair behind his ear. Takumi sighed, covering his eyes with his hands and letting out a long sigh. “I’ve been hearing voices. I’m f-fucking going crazy, Leo-“

“Shh,” Leo rubbed gently at Takumi’s back before pulling him close. The revelation wasn’t too shocking with the events that had just occurred. Still… if anyone else heard about this, things could go very bad for Takumi. While being on the battlefield in this condition wouldn’t be good for any of them, it probably wouldn’t be good for Takumi to stew alone with this either 

“We’ll find a way through this, love,” Leo pressed a gentle kiss to Takumi’s temple, fingers gently carding through his hair, “This is probably just some Vallan magic. We can get through this.” Takumi didn’t respond, choking out sobs as he clung tightly to Leo’s clothes. Even though he was completely terrified, Leo believed in the words he said. They would find a way through this.

 

 

“It looked like you,” Takumi’s voice was quiet. He hadn’t spoken much that day, even at the strategy meeting planning their next move. Leo had been surprised he stayed quiet for so long, but as night had drawn close and they were changing into sleepwear together, Takumi finally spoke up.

“In the dream?” Leo asked, pulling on his shirt and smoothing it out. Usually, Takumi would have some sort of blush on his face during this session of the night, no matter how many times they had seen each other naked, but now the other prince was staring at the ground, his shirt bunched up around his wrists.

“Yeah,” he said softly, sitting on the cot across the tent. While technically they were just sharing this tent, more often than not the two had shared a bed as well. Leo was certain tonight Takumi would demand to sleep alone. “It was… weird. I’ve heard the voice before, but it never took shape until last night. Do… do you think it’s real?”

“If it’s affecting you, this is obviously-“

“That’s not what I mean, Leo. I mean… do you think this voice belongs to something? Or am I just…”

“Stop that,” Leo’s voice was stern, the prince crossing the room and setting a hand on Takumi’s shoulder, “you’re not going crazy. Azura has said it before- Valla is a land of illusions and trickery. In fact, we should see her tomorrow. She’ll know what’s happening to you.”

Takumi looked exhausted as if his lack of sleep was from more than just a few days, but he nodded. Takumi sat down, staring at his feet, “Can… I sleep alone?”

“Do you think you’ll be able to?” Leo asked softly. He watched Takumi shrug, the fingers of one hand fiddling with the thumb of his other. “Do… you want me to lay with you first? And get up once you’ve fallen asleep?”

“You know that’s not how it works,” Takumi sighed, rubbing his face in his hands, “I- whatever. Just don’t fall asleep and get yourself killed.” Leo didn’t point out that Takumi wouldn’t kill him, regardless of whatever forces were trying to convince Takumi otherwise. Instead, he motioned for his lover to move, lying down in the cramped cot beside him.

“I love you, Takumi,” Leo said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, “no matter what anyone says, please know that’s true.” Fingers gripped tightly at his arm, tears pricking at Takumi’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but Leo instantly knew something was wrong.

“ It hurts, Takumi hissed, his voice ragged as he gripped harder on Leo’s arm, “ _p-please, it hurts so bad Leo-_ “

“Takumi-“

“ _You’re a liar,_ ” Leo felt his blood ice over, the all too familiar crimson color bleeding into Takumi’s eyes. For a moment those eyes remind him of Corrin before he’s being glared at, Takumi’s nails digging hard enough to make Leo bruise, “ _he doesn’t love you. He hates you._ ”

Leo pulled back, able to squirm out of the cot before a hand shot out and grabbed at his wrist. “ _Don’t run away from him. You told him you’d protect him. See, princeling, your lover is a liar-_ “ Takumi had tears streaming down his face, reminding Leo that regardless of what was happening now, Takumi was still trapped somewhere in there.

Ignoring the tightening grip on his wrist- one that would definitely leave another bruise- Leo leaned forward, cupping Takumi’s face in his free hand. “You have to fight this,” he whispered intently, wiping away a tear before another fell to take its place, “you are the strongest man I know. If anyone can do this it’s you, Takumi.”

“ _No- W-wrong- you’re wrong…”_ While Takumi’s voice sounded closer to normal, there was something deeply wrong still there, grating at Leo’s soul, “ _weak- he is-_ I _am weak… a poison to you.”_

“No- no, Takumi listen to me-“

“ _Nohrian,”_ Takumi’s grip tightened, causing Leo to wince as the archer stood up, pushing him back, “ _Scum. You w-will… I will kill you myself._ ” Everything was moving too fast, Takumi was reaching back, his fist cocked, and Leo felt his heart slow. This couldn’t be happening. “ _I will prove- prove I am not a weakling!_ ” 

As Takumi’s fist made contact with his jaw, the pain snapped Leo back into motion. He was running on autopilot, knee jerking up to hit Takumi’s abdomen as he yanked back his arm. He pulled a second time, just barely wrenching himself away from Takumi’s grasp, and was out of the tent before the archer could regain his senses.

He had to find Azura. She was the only one who could stop this.


	6. Underwater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi learns some of the human world. Leo learns of his own emotions.
> 
> Siren!AU: Chapter 2

Takumi has grown since the last time they met. Leo has too, but not nearly as much he grumbles under his breath. The mermaid is twice his size, his torso close to Leo’s size but lower body and tail long and thick with the muscle that comes from constant swimming. Leo supposes Takumi is thicker too because of the frigid temperature of the water, a bulkier frame handling it better than Leo’s twiggy body could.

“It’s been a while,” his voice is still raspy, though it cracks with the sound of adolescence. Leo wonders if they will continue to age at the same rate or if life in the sea forces one to grow quicker. He’s never thought of human life as soft and slow-growing until now, not compared to the trees who matched his age and still had yet to bear fruit. 

“Yeah…” Leo is quiet, a bit unusual when he is so readily bursting with nerves and energy, but he doesn’t know what to say, “Uh… You haven’t beached yourself recently, have you?” Even if his upper body was strong, Takumi’s lower half would be his trap upon the sand.

“Does it look like I’m a dried out carcass?” The sarcasm is palpable in the air, Takumi’s arms crossed as he bobs above the surface. Leo wonders briefly how his body works, unsure if any human who’s written on the topic of mermaids has ever bothered to ask. 

“With that scowl on your face it does,” Leo snickers, earning a splash from Takumi. He quickly shield’s Brynhildr from the water, though he knows the tome is too powerful to be ruined by a bit of seawater. 

“What are you holding so tight?” Takumi is immediately intrigued, obviously upset by his inability to move closer. He paces a little, letting the tide pull him back before swimming forward again, and asked, “Is that a human thing?”

“It’s a tome, it lets me use magic,” Leo said simply, setting Brynhildr onto the sand for a moment as he rolled up the legs of his pants, “Come closer, I’ll show you.” Leo met Takumi as far in the water as he could, the slow lapping waves up to his thighs and soaking the pants he had bunched up. Takumi reluctantly swam closer, enough could feel the push of water from his tail. For a moment Leo wondered if he could control the gravity of a living being, but Takumi would not be the first thing he wanted to experiment on.

“What does it do?” Takumi asked, eyes wide as he watched Leo open the book and scroll through the pages, “And how does it help you with magic? You can’t just do that all the time?” 

“No, humans are dreadful with magic. In fact, most our tomes are spells which we’ve been taught by other species. Brynhildr was a gift from a warrior goddess of the land. She could grow forests with just a wave of her hand!” Though Leo liked to think he had outgrown his childish excitement over folklore, just recounting the tales of old made him feel like a child again. Takumi clearly enjoyed this display, chuckling in low tones.

“So... she gave you a book so you could grow a forest?” Takumi asked. Leo shook his head, looking back down to his precious spellbook.

“No, she gave this tome to a warrior who wished to fight in her name,” he explained, “there are a lot of tomes, but this one is special- one of a kind. I’m lucky to have been the one to find it.”

“Are you any good at magic?” Takumi asked, trying to peer at the pages from his spot, “you seem kinda wimpy to be holding a book that strong.”

“I’m not weak!” Leo would have stomped his foot had he been on land, suddenly grateful for the need to be rooted in place atop the shifting sand. Leo readjusted his feet, flipping the page once more, and began to recite a spell in Nohrian. With a wave of his hand a nearby mat of kelp seemed to spring to life, leaping out to jab at the air before crumpling back into the water.

“It’s… different on land,” Leo muttered, feeling embarrassed. He could conjure whole trees in the forest, springing them out of nothing but the memory of their roots still buried in the ground, but the water of the sea was foreign and unwilling to bend so easily to his tome.

“That was awesome!” Takumi exclaimed suddenly, a brightness shining in amber eyes, “You made them move like that without even touching them!” It was Takumi’s turn to become embarrassed, suddenly recoiling back to himself with a blush adorning pale cheeks. It took him a moment to realize, but Leo notices Takumi’s skin is darker than her remembers, closer in shade to the gray of his tail. Rivets of coral pink and silver mark along the sides of his abdomen before disappearing to the water, no doubt joining the long streaks he had seen before. His hair was just as wild and long as before, some of the ends curling up around pointed ears and framing his face nicely. Leo blushes when he realizes he’s looked to long and blames it both on teenage emotions and Takumi’s strange appearance.

“You make it seem like I’ve just parted the seas,” Leo says, trying to practice humility. Camilla says a prince should be more humble- or at least he should. “I wish you could see what I can do on land. It’s much more spectacular. I can move the ground sometimes too.”

“Seriously? Like carve up big chunks of stone and throw them through the air?” Takumi’s eagerness continually won over what seemed to be the desire to keep calm, the mermaid floating forward once more, “That’s way cooler than just moving some kelp.” 

“Well surely you have some kind of magic, don’t you?” Leo asked, suddenly nervous about showing off in front of Takumi, “aren’t mermaids just fey of the waters? That means you should be able to do something magical.”

“You humans and your need to categorize everything,” Takumi made a rolling gesture with his head Leo assumed was his version of rolling his eyes, the teen shifting in the water before crossing his arms.

“I’m no good at magic,” he said, looking away from Leo and instead back at the ocean. The day was overcast, giving a gray sheen to the top of each little wave that bobbed past them. “Sure there are things I can do humans can’t, but as far as attacking with it goes, I need help just to channel it. I guess it’s like your tomes.” 

The desire to press for more information wells up in Leo’s throat, and he takes another step forward before stopping. Too much further and he’d get Brynhildr soaked. Before Leo can step back and return to the shore, however, Takumi flashes a toothy grin and leaps forward. The gap between the teens quickly closes as Takumi grabs hold of Leo’s arm and jerks him forward, sharp claws digging into the pale skin of his arms and holding tight. Leo opens his mouth to scream but is suddenly pulled underwater, fear clogging his mind and lungs and body to the point of paralysis.

“Open your eyes,” Takumi’s voice is clear, just as it was last time, but Leo is too afraid to listen. Brynhildr is clutched tight to his chest in a vain attempt to keep it from being destroyed, but a moment later Leo realizes his lungs are burning and he can’t hold what little breath he has any longer. The need to breath takes over and Leo inhales deeply, expecting the burning sensation of saltwater to boil in his throat and begin the first steps of his death. 

Instead he is rewarded with cold air, rich and sweet and smelling of seashells and fish. Takumi repeats himself once more, “open your eyes!” and Leo finds it possible to move once more. Takumi floats before him, his lower body waving to and fro to keep them suspended in place. His smile is wide and bright, full of the mischief Leo has only heard of in tales of the fair folk. There was no denying it, merfolk and fey were definitely related. With teeth that sharp Leo realizes there may be a few more things they have in common.

Deciding to test the limits of this supposed miracle, Leo opens his mouth to speak, “How-”

“This is one of the spells I know,” Takumi immediately interrupts, “I can help you breathe underwater- and you won’t even get wet! How cool is that?” Leo looks down, noting the thin, rainbow-like sheen surrounding not only his body, but his clothing and even the book clenched so tightly in his hands.

“You can… do that?” Leo is confounded, completely out of his depth when it comes to innate magic such as this, and he finds himself suddenly needing to spend more time with Takumi, if only to figure out how this system works. Was it something the teen had to learn to control? If he was bad with magic, how much stronger would a mermaid good with magic be? Questions swirled around his mind, but Leo was too trapped by the inability to ask that his mouth simply opened and shut a few times.

“Yeah, I think it’s kinda cool,” Takumi said, his hand still gripping tight to Leo’s arm, “my sister showed me how to do it. She has a human friend too, so she knows way more about this stuff than I do. Usually I just try to learn whatever I can use to hunt better.” So it was a learning process. Even if that was one question answered, there were so many more Leo wanted to ask.

“I gotta put you back on the surface soon,” Takumi looked up, swimming slowly towards the silvery sheen of daylight. Leo watched, breathless as Takumi’s hair whipped and curled throughout the water as they swam. There was a hammering in his chest once more and suddenly Leo understood every story he had heard of pirates jumping ship to be with sirens and merfolk. Even with the terrifying gaze Takumi could affix, he was as beautiful as the sea itself.

Leo found he quite liked the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s something for MerMay. I was sort of wanting to finish this little snippet series this month but haha it doesn’t have a cohesive plot line so I’ve only got one more chapter. ‘Poison’ should have a follow up chapter as well, it’s just also slow going.


	7. Flag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking a break from the local Pride festivities
> 
> Modern/College!AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pride Month!  
> My city’s pride parade and festival is today, so I thought I’d post this chapter early.

It was hot, it was sticky, and to be completely honest, Takumi thought he was going to wind up in a hospital later that night. Not because of himself, no, but because Leo was an absolute dumbass who had forgotten his sunhat and was currently nursing yet another cold water before holding the bottle to his head.

“You’re lucky you haven’t spontaneously combusted yet,” Takumi grumbled, taking a seat beside Leo under the shade of a maple tree, “or gotten a sudden case of melanoma. Did you put more sunscreen on?”

“Being on fire would be cooler than this,” Leo groaned, his voice slurring from the combination of too hot in the head and too cold on the tongue, “I just put some on, but I’ve probably sweat it all off by now. Can’t we just go to the fair now? I’m sure there will be hats there I can buy.” 

“We’ll go to the fair once you can stay on your feet for more than a few seconds,” Takumi hummed, wiping sweat from Leo’s brow before making a disgusted face and wiping his hand off on the other’s shirt, “you’re disgusting, you know that?” 

“Gods I don’t need you to say it too,” Leo rolled his eyes, “aren’t we here for a good time today? Not to be picking on each other?” There was a shout, a sudden pulse of music from a few blocks away, and Takumi felt himself smile a bit. 

“You’re right, I shouldn’t be so mean,” he hummed softly, taking his time to brush Leo’s bangs away from his eyes, “but you shouldn’t be so forgetful. You’re the one with the plan, remember? Spend exactly two hours watching everyone march around in their outfits, get some glitter thrown on us, then another hour and a half perusing merch before being fed up with not finding anything you like and then going home and having gross, hot, sweaty sex in our apartment with broken A/C. That sound about right?” 

“Ah, no, you’re forgetting the free condoms. We were here for free condoms, remember?” Leo teased, pushing at Takumi’s chest, “that was why I was intent on suffering heat stroke, condoms and lube. And all the hot guys, of course.”

“Of course,” Takumi rolled his eyes, “hot dudes all around. Are you sure you weren’t here to discover a new kink too? I swear you started getting faint when those leather daddies-”

“Gods never say that word again,” Leo’s face was suddenly a shade of red brighter, his hand on Takumi’s face to push him away, “I may as well pass out from embarrassment. How was I supposed to know Niles was in their group?”

“To be fair,” Takumi began, voice muffled by Leo’s hand until he pulled himself away, “Niles is probably a part of half those groups. He’s the reason you even came out of the closet, and he just gets more gay each time we meet.”

“Don’t let his girlfriend hear that,” Leo chuckled, “You know… I bet Charlotte is a part of some of those clubs too- she’s got that bad girl vibe, don’t you think?”

“What, the ‘hello, I’m going to seem all proper in front of the right crowd but just remember when the sun sets I’m back on the street sucking cock and smoking weed just like all you other college students’? Actually, I don’t think that made much sense, but you get it, right?” Takumi nudged the water bottle in Leo’s hand, reminding him to drink again.

“That about sums it up,” Leo hummed, finishing the bottle and crunching the plastic in his hands before reaching for their bag, “if she’d stop worrying so much about appearances, she and Niles would really have a shot at actually lasting.”

 “So you’re saying she stays for the sex?”

“And his connections- he’s got plenty of them,” Leo hummed, fishing out his phone. Takumi could spy a few notifications in their group chat, as well as a few snaps from Odin and Niles. Upon opening the app Takumi was surprised to see Xander had wished them a happy Pride as well, the picture of a rainbow framing his cat lying out in a sun spot.

“I thought you said Xander had been giving you problems about being out,” Takumi hummed, shifting closer to continue being nosy over Leo’s shoulder.

“He’s been… overprotective,” Leo sighed, tapping through another message from Odin filled to the brim with emojis, “doesn’t want Father to find out. You know he’s, uh… not straight either, right?”

“I mean, I guessed so,” Takumi shrugged, “but I’m not the best judge of character on that. Hinoka had to kiss Setsuna in front of me before I figured out they were dating.”

“Is that why you stayed in the closet so long?” Leo teased, pushing Takumi’s head off his shoulder, “It’s too hot for that. Have you been drinking water?”

“I’ve got plenty, don’t worry,” Takumi waved his hand, pointedly ignoring Leo’s earlier question. He ignored the buzzing of his own phone, probably either Hinoka or Hinata trying to get a hold of him for lunch plans, and leaned back against the tree. While big crowds and loud music- and sunny days, for Leo- were not their typical cup of tea, Takumi had refused to go another year not knowing how their city’s Pride festival was. He had spent one year worried about looking too straight before realizing he _wasn’t_ and another too nervous to bother asking Leo to come with him, thinking he’d think it was a date.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” Leo said softly, grabbing Takumi’s hand, “I was so excited this morning, I guess that’s why I forgot my hat. But even with this miserable heat I’ve had a good time.” Takumi felt his heart skip around, trying to rationalize that Leo’s look of adoration had to be in some part thanks to his fatigue. He couldn’t help but smile, however, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to Leo’s cheek.

“I think you’re just making excuses to be lazy,” Takumi hummed, pressing another kiss to Leo’s temple, “or are these bedroom eyes just another part of the plan? We’re supposed to do the festival before the hot and gross sex, you know that.”

“Intolerable, that’s what you are,” Leo grumbled, pushing himself away from the tree. He sat in that position a moment, shoving his empty water bottle and phone into Takumi’s bag before forcing himself up, “come on, I need to refill my water and you still have to buy that flag you promised me.”

“Wait am I still getting you the normal one to hang up or are we getting the bear flag to put in Xander’s room?”

“You’re going to get me killed,” Leo groaned again, to busy walking away to listen to his boyfriend’s pleas.

“Wait- wait, don’t be mad at me, it was just a joke!” Takumi snickered, pulling his bag over his shoulders before catching up with Leo, “besides, we have to get you a hat too, and those free condoms.”

While he was silent for a moment, Leo did nod his head before smiling softly, grabbing Takumi’s hand  once more, “no, we can’t forget those.”


	8. Lock and Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel-like AU.  
> Leo doesn't really like this situation, but with every day his father grows more bloodthirsty and Leo fears this may be the last chance they have to fix his war-stricken country.
> 
> Tangled!AU: part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for accidental misgendering of a trans character

Leo paused at the base of the tower. This was it, this was what he had been training for. All those years sparring with his brother, plotting out the perfect rescue mission, all for this. The tower was tall, ancient, with vines climbing into the cracks and creases and making a beautiful lattice pattern. Leo threw a leg over his horse, dismounting and dropping the reins where he stood. “Stay here, boy. I won’t be long.”

And so, he began climbing.

Leo hated climbing. Sure he had the endurance and the upper arm strength, but having to shove his fingers into all those nooks and crannies and getting his fingers covered in dirt and dust was more aggravating than it was worth. About halfway up he grimaced, peering down before letting out a sigh. How was he supposed to carry the princess down from here again? Hopefully, she wouldn’t be afraid of heights. All Leo could remember was the sounds of Elise’s nervous giggling when she wanted to help him ‘practice’ and how it turned into shrieking once they were four feet off the ground.

Sounds of life could be heard from the room above him, something like humming filling the air. Leo kept quiet, not wanting to disturb the peace before he finally peered over the edge. There was the princess, legs kicked up over the arm of her a chair with a book in her hands. Leo smiled a bit, peering around the room to see if there was a guard present. All he saw were books and maps and figurines, Hoshidan sculptures and models of weapons. He wondered if any of them were actually usable.

The question was quickly answered for him.

“Shit!” The sound of tumbling and pages being crumpled was heard and soon the princess was up, a bow in her hands as she stared down Leo. He made slow movements, climbing up enough so he could actually sit inside the window rather than just hang for his life. “D-don’t move!” The princess’s grip on the bow tightened and Leo held his hands up, trying to seem less frightening.

“Hey, hey, I’m not here to hurt you,” Leo said softly and slowly, “You don’t have to keep that bow up-”

“Who are you and what are you doing in my tower?!” Did she have a cold? Leo frowned, keeping his hands raised up.

“I’m Prince Leo,” he said, easing himself off of the windowsill and into the room. The princess shifted, obviously too nervous about the situation to be aiming perfectly. Leo suspected if she shot he’d be safe by at least a foot or two. Leo took two steps and was met with an arrow lodging itself into the wall, right in front of his nose. Okay, so she was a better shot than he imagined.

“You look like Nohrian scum,” the princess growled, another arrow already notched, “you better climb right back down before I put an arrow in your neck.”

“Whoa, whoa, why do you have an issue with Nohrians? We’re not all-”

“Royalty stealing thieves? I know all about those conquests your king goes on and I sure as hell know they don’t end well for the other royalty who lives in those nations,” Leo watched the princess move forward, looking over the outfit she was wearing. It was Hoshidan for sure, with those weird toe socks and sandals to complete it all. While a Hoshidan was the last option they had wanted to go for, Xander had been stubborn. This was going to be a marriage to unite the nations, a way to protect Hoshido from Garon’s eventual desire to invade while subduing their people into thinking they had won. Too bad this princess wasn’t going to be happy about it.

“We aren’t- I’m not going to steal you,” Leo tried to reassure her, his hands still raised. He wasn’t so great at blatantly lying, but really, what else was there to say? He was still trying to pin just why her voice sounded so gruff. Maybe a childhood accident had scarred her? Maybe it was a lack of using her voice to interact with others?

“Then why would you be here? To have a nice chat over tea? No, I don’t think so scum,” the princess jerked her head towards the window, “Right back out you go- wait, no-” She shook her head, “You have to die, you’ll just lead more soldiers back here and I am not going to sit around while some prince-”

Leo was already moving. With her arms relaxed and acting as her own distraction, he closed the distance and grabbed at the bow, wrenching it from her grip. Up close she really didn’t look like he had been expecting. Camilla had said Hoshidan beauties were delicate, with gently sloping jawline and soft cheeks. This princess may have had those cheeks, but everything else just looked like a teenage boy. Maybe the royal family was just of a different caliber? She was certainly still gorgeous.

“You piece of shit!” With Leo acting as _his_ own distraction, it was easy for the princess to land a punch. And after that, Leo had no qualms about punching right back.

Thus began the tussle. While there was no doubt this princess was fighting for her life, Leo was surprised she was so strong in the first place. Using a bow required considerable upper arm strength, with a tough core necessary to keep her stable, but Leo hadn’t been expecting just how good she would be in hand-to-hand combat. He kept trying to get her into a position where he could just… casually knock her out, but she kept flipping around at the last second.

“Would you just- stop! Come on-” Leo got punched again, in the ribs this time, and groaned. Damn, that was a good shot. “Can’t we talk-”

“No! You’re going to kill me in front of all your people! I’m not stupid!” The princess swung again, Leo barely dodging in time, “I’m not going to go quietly!”

“Kill- why would we kill you? Listen I know- Stop that!” Leo caught her hand, keeping her from hauling off and hitting him again, “You’re Hoshidan- you’re the only one who can help our kingdom!” There was a look of confusion on her face and Leo swore something wasn’t right. Was he at the right place?

“What… do you mean?” There was no way her voice was just rusty. When Leo pushed her off, he frowned. Were Hoshidan women trained their whole life? She felt like a wall of muscles.

“I mean we need your help,”  Leo sat up, “If you come back with us we may not have to attack Hoshido. Just- just trust me, okay? I’ve been calm this whole time-”

“You’ve been attacking me! You snuck into my tower!”

“You punched me first, okay!” Leo groaned and shook his head, “Listen! You have to come back with me, okay? I promise we won’t kill you. Besides, you’ve been locked up because of my family, shouldn’t we be the ones to fix it?”

Leo was surprised when he was given space, especially when the other looked like she was actually thinking over the idea.

“Are you… will you come with me then?” There was a moment, the princess looking around her room as if to weigh the options. Leo opened his mouth, about to speak up again when she beat him to the punch.

“I’ll come with you,” she said, standing up. She wasted no time in grabbing a bag, walking around the room and grabbing things to place inside. Leo noted a map and book and some extra clothes before she grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows. “I’m not coming empty-handed. If you make one wrong move, I’m killing you and leaving.” Leo was going to guess there was probably a dagger being brought along too. Damn, she was a lot more feisty than he had thought.

“Thank you,” Leo sighed, standing and rubbing his temple, “So, uh… getting down. How do you usually-”

“Stairs,” the princess rolled her eyes, “and a dragon vein. To keep outsiders _out_ .” She opened a door, looking around the room one more time before sighing, “Mother is going to be so pissed…” With that, she took the first steps down the path, Leo following slowly behind. Even if things weren’t going perfectly, the plan was at least working. Step one: get the princess. Now just… to get her home in one piece.  


 

“You know, Nohrian royalty can use dragon veins too,” Leo says once they’re out of the tower. He watches the princess look up, sighing softly as she closes the door once more and presses her hand to it. A warm glow signals the use of the vein- a small one- and Leo watches the stone meld into itself once more.

“We didn’t think it’d be a royal who came to steal me,” she said, voice quiet. Leo was certain she was thinking of a hundred different things right now and decided not to press her further. Instead, he motioned for her to follow, leading back to his horse.

“Would you prefer to ride in front or behind me?” Although he asked with a straight face, Leo couldn’t help the blush rising to his cheeks. Certainly, he had known before this would happen, but to actually be in this situation now… When he turned to look at the princess, she obviously hadn’t considered it either.

“You didn’t bring two horses? Why the hell would you only have one horse if you knew you were coming to get me?” Leo pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

“Two horses and one rider looks awfully suspicious, don’t you think? Just because I’m royalty doesn’t mean I need to draw attention to myself. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Just- decide, okay? The first town we come to I’ll find you a second horse,” Leo gestured to his steed, waiting for the princess to make the first move.

“Fine… I’ll… ride behind you, I guess- b-because of my bow and everything, you know-“ she sputtered to a stop as Leo nodded, easily gathering the reins and hopping up on his horse. He reached a hand down, offering it to the princess. She was hesitant, biting her lip before taking it and shoving her foot in the stirrup for support. Soon she was behind him, gripping onto his armor, and Leo motioned for his horse to move.

The next few hours of travel was painfully awkward for Leo. Every time he tried to start a conversation the princess would give a simple yes or no or just remain silent. He was sure it was because of her disdain for Nohr that she remained so tight-lipped, but it still didn’t make things any less unpleasant.

As the sun was setting, Leo decided to make camp.

  


“Why me?”

The question is voiced long after Leo thought the day was done, the fire smoldering down to ashes now and the two of them lying on small bedrolls he had packed. Leo was watching the way the wind moved the leaves, taking a moment to formulate his answer.

“You were the easiest,” he said simply, shooing away a bug before he sighed and continued, “we did a lot of research on you three. Your other sisters are surrounded by very capable warrior tribes and you were locked away in a tower. It wasn’t all too hard a choice, especially once we started to figure out where to find you.”

“Did you even approach my brother first? And what do you mean by you three?” Leo could tell the princess was sitting on her side now, pointedly speaking to Leo. Despite his mind buzzing, warning him not to engage with how she was sounding, Leo had been needing a good talk all day. So, he sat up, looking over the ashes at the princess.

“You three as in the three princesses of Hoshido. Your brother and the queen refuse to speak with us in person and, well, it’s not safe with my father around for us to be so open about things,” Leo explained, now sitting cross-legged, “I’m surprised you didn’t ask for this explanation back at your home-”

“You- princess?” She was now sitting up as well, her face pale and shoulders tense.

“Yes, princess,” Leo said, biting his lip. Had they messed this up? Were they wrong? “You are Princess Kaede of Hoshido, correct?”

“I’m- oh gods, okay, great, this is great,” The princess stood, looking ready to start pacing before she held her head in her hands, “well you got the right person, wrong title. I’m Prince Takumi of Hoshido. None of your research said that? Of course, it didn’t-” and now started the pacing.

Leo felt the color drain from his face. No, there hadn’t been anything about a second prince in the research- tellings that a prince and princess from Valla had fled to safety there, but Xander had been adamant about finding a Hoshidan princess.

“You’re not from Valla, are you?”

“No you idiot, I said Hoshido! Does that sound like Valla?” Takumi’s fists were balled up by his sides. As Leo looked over him again, he noticed the baggy style of Takumi’s clothes, not form fitting in the slightest, and cursed himself for simply writing it off as Hoshidan style. The gruff, teenage sounding voice and stand-offish attitude-

“You really are a g-”

“Don’t fucking say it,” Takumi was suddenly fuming and for a moment, Leo was worried he’d jump over the fire just to hit him, “don’t say it. It’s not- I don’t care what they wrote about me, it’s not true.”

Leo stopped, lips tight, but nodded. Things were clicking into place now, and worry began to sprout in his chest. This… this plan wasn’t going to work, was it?

“Just fucking- tell me what your super secret special idea was,” Takumi finally sat after another few moments of pacing, his hands clenching at the sleeves of his shirt, “Gods this is awful. I should have asked about this at the tower. Now I’m stuck in the middle of the woods with you and one horse who’s probably just going to ride back to your evil castle if I take-”

“Takumi,” Leo cut off the other, rubbing his face with his hands, “Breathe- for five seconds just breathe instead of rambling on. You’re not making this any easier.” There was an affronted noise from across the coals, but Leo ignored him.

“You… I was supposed to get you so that you could marry my brother Xander,” Leo pulled his head from his hands, looking at Takumi as he spoke. The shock was visible, almost tangible in the air, so Leo kept speaking before Takumi could have another outburst, “The idea was that you married him, making us technically in control of Hoshido, thus getting rid of my father’s need to conquer your kingdom. It’s all technicalities and what not, and once Xander became King we were going to nullify the arrangement, but now-”

“You were going to marry me off to some Norhian?” Takumi put his face into his hands, shaking his head. His words were muffled now, but he was speaking with enough anger Leo could still hear him clearly, “I can’t believe I’m so fucking stupid. Of course, that’s what you were after- you Nohrians can’t be normal-”

“That’s a perfectly normal tactic!” Leo said, suddenly more upset about his plan being called into question rather than the state of said plan, “wars end because of marriages all the time, why would this be any different?”

“Because we fucking hate you!” Takumi said, looking exasperated, “it’s not just me, it’s all of us! Your dumb king may not have caused a full out war on us- yet, may I add- but he keeps stealing our trading partners and claiming them under his rule! Hoshido is just making ends meet right now because of you and- my sisters and I can’t even be home because of you!”

“A truce over a marriage is still better than an all-out war, don’t you think?” Leo asked, his head beginning to ache, “Are you all this loud?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask your stupid informants,” Takumi grumbled, standing again and taking a few steps away from the smoldering fire, “for this plan to be so important, there sure were a lot of things hinged on chance.”

“We were…  running out of time,” Leo said softly, wringing his hands, “Garon is becoming uneasy again, and that usually means another annexing is going to happen. Hoshido is the only big prize left in his mind. But that doesn’t fucking matter now, I can’t bring you back to Xander.”

“Wait- what?” Takumi turned, narrowing his eyes for a moment.

“You’re a prince, Xander can’t ask for your hand in marriage. Well, technically he could, but our father- never mind. I’ll have to get in contact with Camilla and see how she’s fairing-”

“You sent someone else after one of my sisters?” Although the subject was tense, Leo could see Takumi’s demeanor shift. He returned to the bedroll across the fire, suddenly looking exhausted.

“My sister Camilla has been in contact with the fire tribe on your borders for a few weeks now. She’s been acting as an informant on their behalf, but… it was partially a ruse to try and locate your sister. Though, from what I’ve heard, she’s just as much a spit-fire as you are,” Leo smirked, finding a bit of pleasure at the way Takumi sputtered and crossed his arms.

“Whatever. Hinoka’s never going to agree to go with Nohrian Scum like you,” Takumi moved to lay down, a bit of a smirk on his own face, “Well… you’re stuck with me now. You better figure out some way to make my presence useful or else-”

“Or else what, you’ll run away? We’re already knee-deep in territory occupied by the Nohrian militia. You look too Hoshidan to be able to get back on your own,” Leo smirked before being hit by a thrown stick.

“Or else I’ll kick your ass all the way back to Hoshido and take you as my prisoner instead,” Takumi finished, a sense of smugness in his voice.

Leo blinked slowly, not quite sure how to respond, and let the air fall quiet around them. He could hear a bit of grumbling as Takumi tossed and turned on his cot but chose to ignore it. They’d need a good night’s rest in order to come up with a better plan in the coming morning. 

Despite the uneasy feeling mounting in his gut thanks to the uncertainty, Leo could feel a smile show on his face. Maybe now he and Takumi could have a decent conversation- and with the predicament they found themselves in, he wondered if it would finally be the kind of stimulating discussion he had been craving the past few months. 

With an unusual amount of optimism, Leo rolled over, closing his eyes and listening to the sound of bugs chirping and frogs squeaking in the trees as he fell asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaede has a meaning of ‘maple’, to go with the theme of Takumi’s sister’s names being based on trees
> 
> As someone who isn't trans, please let me know if anything in this AU ends up being written wrong or badly. I've wanted to add to the trans!Leokumi community for a while now, so if the reception is nice, hopefully there will be another prompt to follow this.


	9. Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi won't give up on Leo
> 
> Devilman!AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spoilers for the devilman universe

Takumi’s jaw went slack, his gaze caught on Leo’s shimmering form. He should have known something was different about the boy, the way he’d flip so easily between his typical attitude and one of manic bloodlust. Still, the sight before Takumi was blinding, burning at his eyes and causing his heart rate to pick up once more.

“I told you Takumi, I am not human,” Leo said simply, as if this revelation wasn’t supposed to be shocking, “I never have been, you must understand that.”

“No,” Takumi was frozen in place, “N-no that’s not true, you- we grew up together!” The light around Leo died down some, showing off his golden form. Several pairs of wings sprouted from his back, framing him in a white halo of feathers.  _ An angel _ , Takumi thought to himself, mouth dry,  _ he looks like an angel. _

“That may be true, but it does not change my nature, Takumi,” Leo sighed, dipping his head for a moment before he smirked, “I am Satan, the one who opposes. I am the lightbringer, the angel Lucifer. I was cast from heaven long before we met-”

“So you were lying to me this whole time? You knew about this before- before you turned me into this demon?!” There was a pause as Takumi felt his chest tighten. Leo looked down at him, his eyes shining a radiant blue, and he shifted.

“No, I was not,” Leo said, pulling his arms close to his body, covering his chest, “There was a time when I had forgotten who I was, when you and I first met. It was only recently I learned of this form.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why not just kill me and get this over with?” Takumi grit his teeth, his fingers clenched tight. His body was on fire, energy pulsing and urging him to transform, to fight the demon before him.

“You don’t have to die, Takumi,” Leo said simply, taking a step forward. He opened his arms, a fond smile on his face and he took another step forward, “you can join me. It’s why you have that body of yours. Please, come with me. I need you, Takumi.”

Tears pricked at Takumi’s eyes and he shook his head, “Don’t… don’t lie to me, Leo. That’s not true.”

“Why else would I have drug you into this Takumi?” For a moment the cool facade faded, Takumi watching Leo’s eyes spark alive at the possibility of an argument with Takumi. They were a fiery brown, his natural hue, and Takumi felt hope light up in his chest. It was something he had all but abandoned, and Takumi bit back.

“Because you’re sadistic? Because you needed someone to do your dirty work while you were still a weak ‘human’?” Takumi was the one walking forward now, confident steps in his anger. He was pissed at Leo, for being so secretive, for hiding something so important like this, for still being  _ taller _ than him- it didn’t matter. All Takumi needed was that anger to push him forward, urging on his own transformation.

“No!” Leo shouted, his wings flaring behind him, “I  _ saved _ you! Humans are going to die, Takumi, you must understand this! They are weak and their struggle is futile-”

“Then I must be weak as well,” Takumi groaned, his teeth sharp, “just like those pitiful humans. I will not turn my back on them, Leo, and I’m not turning my back on you!” There were no clothes to grab so Takumi settled with Leo’s shoulders, clawed fingers gripping tight. He could see the golden ichor dripping from the wounds, proving even more so that Leo wasn’t lying anymore.

“How childish of you,” Leo scoffed, eyes narrow as he glared at Takumi, “you don’t have to give up on me, I’m perfectly fine as I am-”

“You’re delusional,” Takumi growled, “you won’t win this war, Leo.” He could hear sirens in the distance, the sound of explosions echoing, and Takumi knew that the fighting had began. It wouldn’t be long until this war raged out of hand, unchecked and fueled by the hatred Leo had sown. 

“You are the one who will die, Takumi,” Leo’s voice was cold, his eyes a dull blue once more, and Takumi shuddered. This truly wasn’t Leo standing before him, at least, not like this, “side with the humans and you will die with them. I cannot save you from their fate.”

“Then I will die with them,” Takumi said softly, pushing Leo away. His heart ached, slow, rolling beats, but he forced himself away, “and you will have to be the one to kill me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly I just wrote this because I'm in devilman hell and keep seeing my boys in this universe. There will probably not be a follow-up to this.


	10. Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garon sends Leo on a mission and it doesn't go quite as planned
> 
> Siren!AU: Chapter 3

“There is a beast killing my soldiers,” Garon’s voice was cold as it echoed throughout the stone room, “It’s a monstrous thing I thought I had destroyed before. If your brother and sister weren’t out protecting our country I’d send them to deal with this mess, but it looks like you’ll have to do.” He was as dark as the floor beneath Leo’s feet, but the prince made no motion to suggest that those words hurt. They did, he hated to hear his father belittle him with seemingly no care, but Leo knew he must be stoic. He wasn’t a child any longer and a prince of Nohr should behave better than a brat.

“Consider it done, Father,” Leo replied simply, “Just tell me where this threat is and I will obliterate it.” There was a sneer on Garon’s face, a reminder that this was not the man Leo was raised by, but he can’t just cry out in mourning for days past.

“Dead Man’s Cove, I think they’ve taken to calling it,” Garon waved a hand and a servant stepped forward with a marked map to hand to Leo, “fitting, of course, but stupid. If those pathetic peasants had any wits about them they’d stop traveling near the area.” Leo wanted to interject that the only passage out to open ocean and better trade routes passed right next to the cove, but his lips remained sealed. It was clear Garon was only having him chase after this beast for revenge, not the sake of their citizens.

“Don’t worry Father, I’ll take care of the beast,” Leo said, voice clipped, and bowed to the throne. His father made a grunting noise and Leo stood, turning on his heel and stepping out of the room. As quick as always, Elise was right on his heel, following Leo back towards his quarters where he began to pack his bag.

“Shouldn’t you bring soldiers with you?” Elise grabbed Leo’s hand in the middle of his packing, a worried look on her face, “Or at least let me come too! You can’t go by yourself Leo, you’ll get hurt- or worse!”

Leo shook his head, pulling his hand from his sister’s grasp. Something felt off, like the world tilted just ever so slightly sideways, but Leo isn’t sure what was causing it. Usually, he wouldn’t leave so quickly, but Leo feared if he stood in the castle just a minute longer the stone would suffocate him in his sleep.

“I’ll be fine, Elise,” Leo shrugged off her concern, “I’ve survived my fair share of encounters with magical beings. This will be no different.” Leo’s more worried about Elise spilling his secrets than anything. If his father knew he hadn’t killed a single creature he had been sent to destroy Garon would no doubt have him locked up or killed for treason. Leo couldn’t play such an unwilling part in this genocide, however, and he only prayed his brother and sister were doing the same. With Xander out on the open fields, however, it would have been much harder for him to allow those creatures to live.

“You always come back so beat up after those missions though,” Elise whined, “and you promised me I could come next time! What happened to that?” Leo tied his bag closed, finding a belt and securing an extra blanket to the top. The further north he traveled the colder it would become and the last thing Leo needed was to catch a cold before fighting this beast.

“It’s better this way,” Leo lied, checking and rechecking that he had packed his personal belongings correctly, “I don’t do well with distractions. How about this-” he slung the bag over his shoulder, checking its weight before looking at Elise, “I’ll teach you how to use Brynhildr when I return. I’m sure you would be able to find some healing capabilities within this tome.”

Elise’s eyes lit up at the idea, sparkling with a light Leo wished more people in this world held, but she soon crossed her arms and pouted, “You’re just trying to get me off your back! Ugh!” With a stomp of her foot, the princess stuck out her tongue before she turned away from her brother. There was a moment or two of silence that passed between them before Leo reached forward, pulling Elise backward towards him.

“I’ll come home safe, I promise,” he hummed, wrapping his arms around his sister in a hug.

“You better,” she grumbled, hands clutching tight to Leo’s arms. They stayed in that embrace a moment, the din of the castle bustling being the only sound trapped within the stone walls. Once again Leo felt a pulling at his chest, a need to leave and escape and just breathe once more, and he kissed his sister on the head.

“Be safe, Elise,” he said softly, “I’ll see you soon.”

 

 

The song was familiar, drifting gentle on the blowing wind from the strait. Leo wanted to drop his things right there and just listen to the sound of this voice all day, low and gravely and singing sweet whispers to his ears. His bones felt tired and his soul wanted rest, but Leo knew he had to push on. If this was from the beast, surely it would only get harder.

Leo wished he wasn’t so right. Making camp had given his body a rest from the hike, but waking to the sound of more singing only made him feel more like mush than before. Even on solid ground, Leo felt like he was trudging along the beach, the sand sneaking into his boots and clogging his armor and pulling him further down, just waiting to be drowned by the flowing tide.

There was a pause in the song, giving Leo a much-needed break, and he stopped as well. The fact this song is magical, spanning an impossible distance, coupled with Garon’s need for revenge tells Leo all he needs to know. This was a siren, and he could only pray that it wasn’t the one his father fought all those years ago. It had taken an entire battalion alongside Garon just to bring the beast to shore and the battle hadn’t ceased until the siren had been too exhausted to continue fighting on land.

Something scratched at the back of his mind, a sense of familiarity or vague nostalgia that lingered a moment too long as he looked at the sea, but Leo brushed it off. He began marching again, the muscles in his legs whining and cursing that he left his horse behind too soon. Nohrian steeds could handle the frigid temperatures just fine; it was the jagged edges of the coast he worried about. Staring at the dark stones made Leo shiver, but he sighed, beginning the descent down the seaside cliffs towards the beach. The cove was nestled in a section here, cut off to the rest of the Nohrian beaches by crashing waves, and this was Leo’s only way down.

When Leo hit the grainy sand, he’s surprised the singing hasn’t begun again. Surely it’s too early in the day for the beast to be sleeping, but maybe there was a limit to a siren’s song. It was magic, perhaps taking a heavy toll on the creature. Maybe the siren knew he was approaching and was saving its strength. Regardless, Leo pressed forward. If he was truly lucky, this chance couldn’t be squandered.

Leo was careful in his steps across the sand, glad for his frolicking as a child. Swordplay had helped him find a sense of balance, but being familiar with the way sand moved underfoot was from a much further time back. Leo closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to cut himself away from fond memories. Now was not the time for nostalgia.

He looked around, gauging the distance between the entrance of the cove and the sea. The skeletons of marine life lay at the entrance, warning of a predator within. Leo was surprised to find a lack of human bodies, but he doesn’t know how to feel about it otherwise. Happy the beast isn’t eating his soldiers? Disgusted that it seemed to be killing for sport? Leo doesn’t know and decided he doesn’t care as he took another step forward to look within the cove.

The form before him is massive, a giant, and Leo’s breath caught in his throat. Only the beasts shoulders and head rose from the water, yet that much of its body was nearly as big as Leo- perhaps bigger. The hole swallowing the beast up must have led to the sea, for such a small body of water surely could not contain something so monstrously large. There was silence save the slow breathing of the beast, shoulders rising and falling every so often in a manner that indicated sleep. It’s the opposite of Leo’s quick and hurried breaths, but he refused to dwell any longer on the subject as Brynhildr’s pages flew open.

The surge of magic is familiar and strong, coursing through his bones and tethering him to the earth below. Brynhildr’s magic wakes him in a way he hadn’t expected, melting the remnants of control the siren’s song had on his body. He feels invigorated, alive and new with his magic, and perhaps just a bit too cocky. Leo shouts, releasing the wave of pent up magic, and slams the beast down against the rocks and coral of the cove. Leo clenches his fist, summoning vines from nothing, and urges them to wrap around his quarry.

Oh what a mistake he’s made.

The siren is immediately agitated, stirring and swinging at the vines which pester it so. Leo unleashes another torrent of magic to push the monster down but the sound of familiar music uproots him from his spot and pulls Leo into his own mind. He screams, for he doesn’t know what else he can do, and watches as the world is burning. A song of conquest and annihilation spills into Leo’s mind and he shouts for he can’t move to cover his ears. Blazing fire wrenches a path through the castle of his childhood, the stone structure cracking and falling and on the throne, cackling in joy is Garon- as if this wanton destruction is what he’s anticipated all along.

The thrum of Brynhildr is strong, filling Leo’s hands with her magic. He grabs tight to the feeling, using it to ground himself once more to reality and break free of the siren’s song. Leo groans as his vision swims, vaguely aware of a clawed hand the size of his torso coming down to strike him. His magic responds faster than his body, a tree erupting through the coral-inlaid stone to catch and trap the hand, but Leo realizes too late he’s hearing music again and loses focus of Brynhildr’s reassuring pulse.

The sun is bright, shining too much for Leo to see clearly. Shapes appear like an oil painting brought to life, simple color schemes coding each individual as someone different. If Leo focuses he thinks he can see Elise and himself, maybe Xander, but there are other figures as well. The scene is too jovial to be real or current, the sound of laughter ringing through the song, and Leo finds himself tearing up at the impossibility of it all. There is no happy ending like this, not with his father pretending to have the nation’s interest at heart, and Leo cries to mourn this joy he’s losing.

The song falters, suddenly rigged, and everything is thrown to the side as Leo blinks once, twice, and comes back to reality. Brynhildr pulses once more, as if reminding him that she is there and ready for use, but he’s too shocked to take hold of the magic.

Amber eyes, as large and round as dinner plates, stare at Leo, and Leo stares back. There is silver hair falling ragged around the face, curling behind its pointed ears and flying up around the base of its neck. Its skin is as gray as the rock around them, perfectly suited for ambush, but Leo sees the marks of coral pink and white gleaming across its face- _his_ face, framing those glowing eyes and drawing attention away from a set of deadly, clenched teeth.

“Takumi,” he breathes, some emotion twisting in the top of his gut. Leo is breathless, watching the beast breath slow and ragged, as if he can’t believe this either. Leo suddenly feels wrong, though whether that’s from his inability to strike or the fact that he is still so utterly entranced by this siren he doesn’t know.

“Leo,” Takumi responds in kind, his voice low and dark as the stone around him. He’s lost the gravelly tones of adolescence, instead replaced by the smooth sound of water washing against the sands of the beach. Leo hears a storm in his voice, something boiling deep within Takumi, and he knows immediately there is magic on his breath and in his words. For all the ineptitude Takumi has claimed, he doesn’t realize his very being is saturated with the magic of the sea and the stones, more energy thruming through every ragged breath than Leo could ever think of impulsively conjuring.

There is silence in his ears, ringing as his knees give way and pull him towards the stone. A sharp hand catches him but Leo has gone at this moment, too exhausted by a week-long trek and the song which has been wearing him down since the day he left home. He feels nothing, save the warmth of the blinding memory coming back to him. Leo closes his eyes and lets the song take him once more.


	11. Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo is surprised at just how easily Takumi gets along with Niles
> 
> Modern!AU;

“Do you really think this is a good idea?” Takumi asked, fidgeting in his seat. While this wasn’t far from their house, being back in a bar after actively skipping drinking in public felt awkward and anxiety-inducing. When was the last time he and Leo went drinking? How long ago had they left college?

“I won’t know whether it’s a good idea or not until we try it,” Leo muttered, taking a sip of his beer soon after. Takumi saw the way his fingers gripped the cup, however, and wasn’t sure whether the fact Leo was nervous should have made him feel better or worse. 

“We don’t have to do this, though,” Takumi shifted, tracing the droplets of water gathering on his cider, “I mean, a dating app? What are we, eighteen?”

“Shut up- do you have a better idea? I mean, I could go out and-”

“Pick someone up? Leo you had a hard enough time convincing me to date you, I doubt you’d have it any easier this time around,” Takumi teased, nudging Leo’s arm. He cut off the blond before he could speak again, raising a finger, “and don’t say you have more experience. You’re still awkward as hell.”

“Fuck you,” Leo groaned, sipping his beer again. He frowned, pushing the cup away before he could finish it too early, “So should we give it another five minutes, or-”

“Hey, sorry about that,” a smooth voice chimed in, a new man sitting across from the two, “I hate driving in this part of the city- usually I just bus but that thing is filled with drunk college kids right now.” The man lifted an eyebrow, looking over Leo and Takumi before sitting up a little straighter, “this is the right table, yeah? Wouldn’t be the first time I got this wrong.”

“You’re Niles, right?” Takumi asked, immediately feeling his stomach begin to knot up. How was this supposed to go? Were they supposed to be open at first or was it like a first date where you chatted about everything but sex-

“Got that right,” the man smirked, giving Takumi a wink and immediately setting his cheeks aflame, “Leo and Takumi, yes? I have to say, Leo, you look awfully familiar. Does the name Odin ring a bell to you?”

“Odin Dark? You mean Owain?” Leo shifted in his seat, sitting up a little more, “Of course I remember him, he was one of my only friends- shit, you  _ are _ Niles!” Takumi watched as Leo broke into a sudden smile, his nervous tension disappearing at the mention of what Takumi assumed was a childhood friend’s name.

“I thought as much,” Niles smiled, arms crossed as he leaned back a bit, “It’s not like I could stalk your profile and figure out if you were the same Leo I went to school with- you guys left that thing surprisingly bare.”

“Oh gods, this is not how I thought I would see you again,” suddenly Leo was the one blushing, rubbing the back of his neck before letting out a sigh, “Niles this is Takumi, my boyfriend. Takumi, Niles and I went to the same middle school before I had to move in with my father. I can firmly say he’s the reason I didn’t have any more than two friends-”

“You can certainly say I’m the reason you  _ had _ two friends,” Leo shot a glare at Niles who held his hands up, scooting his chair back, “I’m going to grab a beer. You guys want anything?”

Takumi shook his head, still reeling from the fact that Leo and Niles knew each other, and Leo gave a wave of his hand, “No no, I’m good- here, actually-” Leo shifted, grabbing his wallet from his pants before passing a few bills to Niles, “it’s on me. Don’t worry about the change.”

“Ooh, I didn’t know you were going to be my sugar daddy too~” Niles hummed, flashing a smile enough to make Leo’s face red again before he walked to the bar.

“Gods you know each other? How did you not figure that out from the app?” Takumi asked, his hand on Leo’s arm, “Should we just call this off?”

“I… don’t know,” Leo worried his lip, still recovering from Niles’ last statement, “he was quite a handful when we were kids, I’m certain nothing has changed. And don’t act like I should have gone all stalker on him! The profile name was something weird!”

“This isn’t going to work,” Takumi pulled back, arms crossed as he watched the stranger at the bar, “I- I don’t know if I’m okay with this anymore…”

“Are you getting jealous already?” Leo teased, turning towards Takumi and setting a hand on his shoulder, “Babe, don’t worry. If this doesn’t work, it doesn’t. But remember, you’re the one who said we should at least try. Before, uh… marriage plans, or anything.” 

Takumi looked back to Leo, seeing the soft warmth in his eyes, as comforting as the heavy hand holding him tight. After letting out a soft sigh, Takumi nodded, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to Leo’s lips, “fine… but if you start falling in love with him I’m gonna kick his ass, and you can’t blame that on me.”

“Well look at you two being all domestic,” Niles sat down again, causing Takumi to jump in his seat, “so jumpy. Is he always like this?”

“Just when he’s nervous,” Leo said with a soft smile, taking Takumi’s hand. Takumi grumbled under his breath about not needing a hand to hold but didn’t let go regardless.

“I’m guessing you’re new to this thing then? Or- am I jumping too far ahead? I guess I like to get business out of the way first, but we can keep reminiscing on school days if you want, catch up a little?” Niles asked, peering first at Leo, then Takumi.

“N-no, we can talk about this first. I’d rather hear your answer before Takumi faints of anticipation,” Leo said, his free hand wrapped around his drink once more, “After all, there should be plenty of time to catch up after regardless.”

“Gotcha,” Niles nodded, taking a minute to drink. Takumi began fidgeting again, this time his leg bouncing underneath the table. He felt Leo press his leg over in another attempt to help calm Takumi, but it really just made him start bouncing the other leg instead.

“So, uh… Leo and I are in a bit of a bind,” Takumi said quickly, feeling the words welling in his throat. He took a moment, trying to think through things before rambling on, but it wasn’t easy to stop once he had started, “He and I- well, so I don’t like sex, but Leo does, and we’re kind of in a bind because we really, really don’t want to break up, but I can’t do the thing and it’s not fair Leo has to suffer because of me-”

When Leo squeezed Takumi’s hand, he stopped himself, taking a breath and looking at Niles directly, “I’m ace- asexual, whatever- like I said, no sex. And Leo-”

“I knew this going into our relationship,” Leo cut Takumi off, continuing on despite the glare he received, “But he’s right. I have no desire to remain celibate forever. S-so…” Takumi was a bit guilty of the pride in his chest that Leo was now the one tripping over his words, so he cut the blond off this time.

“So I thought Leo should find someone good with sex to be with on the side,” Takumi finished, feeling better now that he had finally spoken freely. That being said his leg was still bouncing incessantly, it was just less now.

“So… you’re going for an open relationship thing then?” Niles asked, raising an eyebrow, “At least you two are up front with it. Not gonna lie, I did think this was going to be a threesome thing at first, or maybe voyeurism- I’m no one to judge, but that is a thing some people are into. But instead, your cute boyfriend here is trying to set you up with a date, how sweet~”

“Gods Niles don’t make me regret this,” Leo rubbed at his forehead, “I- We just wanted to be upfront about this. And Takumi is an incredibly jealous person, so he said he had to come with me-”

“I’m not that jealous!” Takumi’s glare returned, “I just figured whoever’s going to be getting with Leo better get along with me too. If this is like a thing, you know? Is it obvious we’ve never done this before?”

“Crystal,” Niles snorted, “Usually with an open relationship the other person isn’t all up in my business too. But whatever, you guys are both cool about it, that doesn’t bother me either.”   


“So… it’s a yes then?”

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Niles shrugged, giving a one-sided smile, “if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. You two can go looking for someone else. No sense in not trying it at least once though.”

“Good,” Takumi breathed a sigh of relief, “Because Leo really needs this. You should see how he gets when we kiss, it’s awful-”

“No, it’s not, I’m not that bad!” 

“You’re constantly making all these noises and whining and-”

“Takumi I don’t whine!” Takumi snickered, watching Leo’s ears burn as he tried in vain to defend himself. As Niles begins teasing Leo as well, and in turn Takumi too, he can’t help but think this may not burn down in flames. Takumi squeezed Leo’s hand tighter, grabbing his drink to try and save face after another one of Niles’ comments, and felt himself relax a little.

 

Niles came around a lot more often than Takumi expected. It wasn’t always for sex, not unless he and Leo were somehow sneaking sessions in twenty-minute chunks while he was running errands or halfway across the house, but Takumi found himself not hating their arrangement.

Sure, it had been awkward at first. They hadn’t actually done anything until a month after meeting at the bar, mostly because Leo couldn’t get over the idea of fucking a childhood friend. Then Takumi caught Leo in the shower one night, moaning Niles name, and called him over himself. That... hadn’t ended well, but at least Leo was more open with things now.

“You know, I almost caught you two the other day,” Takumi hummed, head resting on Leo’s chest as they laid sprawled across the couch. The TV was on in the background, some cooking show Leo pretended to learn from and Takumi had yet to make a drinking game of, “What was it, Niles asking me where we kept all the belts?”

“Gods Takumi we didn’t even do anything, he was just trying to embarrass me,” Leo groaned, rubbing a hand over his face, “sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it, having him pester me so much. He hasn’t been awful to you, has he?”

“You mean like as a person or trying to come onto me?” Takumi snorted, shaking his head a bit, “No, he’s surprisingly mannerly about that. Nothing else is sacred, but he isn’t a dick about our situation.” 

The two were quiet for a moment, Leo’s fingers carding gently through Takumi’s hair. He lifted a strand, playing with the ends before smiling, “You need to trim your hair again. It’s starting to get all split at the ends.”

“It’s that shampoo you use- I know we were supposed to get the same stuff to keep the clutter down but I can’t do that drying shit you use,” Takumi groaned, shifting where he lay. There was an elbow in Leo’s side before he finally settled down again, back pressed against Leo’s chest and hair flung off to the side.

“Niles has this after-product you would like,” Leo hummed, squirming a bit to get more comfortable, then pressing his face to Takumi’s head, “it would smell good on you too. Like cocoa butter.”

“You know Niles and I are two different types of not-white people, right?” Takumi poked at Leo’s thigh, “I’m surprised he uses any product at all. Half the time he looks like a greasy mess.”

Leo rolled his eyes- not that Takumi could see, but he just knew, and spoke, “He’s like a part-time mechanic or something. And yes I know you’re not the same ethnicity. I’m not that kind of colorblind Takumi.”

“You’d think so with the way Xander talks about politics,” Takumi snorted, feeling sappy and going for Leo’s hand.

“He’s trying his best. It’s a lot better than before he moved out of the house. Gods he was insufferable,” Leo muttered, curling his fingers around Takumi’s. For a moment they sat in silence, listening to the host go on about her knife cuts and how they made the dish perfect or whatever. Takumi could feel Leo’s breath slow and begin to even out and he squeezed his hand tighter.

“You ready for bed, love?” He hummed, twisting around to look up at Leo. The blond blinked slowly, looking adorable in the only way Leo could when he was half awake, and nodded.

“I guess I should be,” Leo stretched his legs, wrapping his arms tightly around Takumi, “I’m just so comfy here. I’d rather not move.”

“You’re going to be bitching all morning if we sleep on the couch. Not that I’m against it- you make a good bed-” Takumi ignored the ‘hey’ from Leo, instead shifting so they were facing each other again.

“Hey, Leo?” Takumi felt nervous, and he wasn't quite sure why. It was just a question that had been lingering on his mind for a while, but now that he was going to ask, things just felt harder.

“Yes, love?” And there was Leo making it ever harder for him to just speak.

“Um… how would you feel if maybe… we had Niles move in with us?” Takumi had been slow to start, but was tripping the end of the sentence over his tongue, cheeks red and hiding in Leo’s nightshirt.

“If Niles… moved in?” Leo repeated, sitting up a little more, “I’m not going to lie, Takumi, I’m a little surprised you’re the one asking this. Should I be worried Niles is going to steal your heart away from me?”

“No, no- nothing like that! It’s just- he lives on the other side of town, and wouldn’t it be easier for the two of you if he was closer? And he is good about taking care of himself, so we wouldn’t have to pay any extra for food or anything. Besides, he’s a good cook and shit, so like that’s a bonus-” Takumi was cut off by Leo patting his back and pulling his legs up, shifting to leave the couch. He stood, stretching and yawning before turning back and offering a hand to Takumi.

“You don’t have to defend yourself, I was just teasing,” Leo hummed as Takumi took his hand, “I’d like to think on this more but… I was thinking of asking you the same thing. I just don’t want things to be weird between the two of you.”

Takumi squeezed Leo’s hand, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek, “oh how thoughtful of you. I’m sure I’ll be fine. Besides, I don’t hate him. That’s like sixty percent of the battle, right?”

Leo chuckled, low in his groggy state, and pulled Takumi close, “Yeah, you’re right.”

 

 

“You said you don’t like peppers? Or you do?” Niles asked from the kitchen counter, knife in hand, “I can keep the pieces big for you to pick out.”

“I don’t like things being spicy just for the sake of being spicy,” Takumi waved his hand, working on peeling a garlic clove, “peppers are fine, just take the seeds out.” 

“Oh, Leo would die if I left the seeds in,” Niles chuckled, Takumi smirking to himself, “not to mention it’d make tonight-”

“Nope, no dirty talk in the kitchen,” Takumi cut him off. He was perfectly fine with the jokes- especially when Leo ended up being the most embarrassed one between the three of them- but he didn’t need a repeat of Niles pretending every fruit and vegetable was something phallic while they were dancing around a hot stove and sharp knives.

“How rude,” Niles pouted, “You didn’t even know it was going to be dirty.”

“You just confirmed it yourself,” Takumi frowned, grunting as he pressed the garlic clove and began picking once more at the skin, “fucking shit why is this so hard?”

“Why don’t you just buy peeled garlic?” Niles asked, watching Takumi for a moment as Leo stepped into the kitchen, trying to sneak silently behind the two.

“Because it always tastes better fresh! And I’ll have extra this way-”

“There’s plenty of extra in those minced can things, not to mention that olive oil they sit in is just as good to add to the mix,” Niles countered before turning, pointing a finger at Leo, “what did we say about being in the kitchen?’

“Fuck, Leo, are you sneaking in here again?” Takumi spun round, fingers still picking at the clove in hand, “dinner will be in like twenty minutes, can’t you wait?”

“I didn’t have a big lunch, alright?” Leo put his hands up, feigning innocence before he reached down to snatch a tomato from their basket, “it’s just one, it won’t hurt-”

“Nope, we need that for the sauce!” Takumi plucked the tomato from Leo’s hands, “now get out of here before you end up burning yourself- or worse, the food!” He watched with a triumphant smirk as Leo flipped him off, sulking out of the kitchen and leaving Takumi and Niles to continue prep work. Things were silent for a moment, punctuated by a victorious laugh from Takumi. He placed the freshly peeled clove to the side before beginning to work on another.

“You know, you two are a cute couple,” Niles hummed, scraping the peppers into a bowl before working on dicing the tomatoes, “I’m glad you were able to figure this thing out. Would have been a shame for you and Leo to part ways over something like sex.”

“People do it all the time,” Takumi shrugged, “or at least that’s what I’ve heard. Married couples stop having it so they get bitter with each other, young couples stop liking the same thing so they break up, it’s all the same, right? I mean, I decided to stay out of these sorts of things for so long because of all that drama.”

“It is drama,” Niles chuckled, “but everything is drama. You guys are doing well to actually talk this shit out early. You know… you really mean something to Leo.”

“Gods am I going to have to ban you from being sappy in the kitchen too?” Takumi grumbled, his cheeks already red, “I- I mean of course I am, we’re dating, aren’t we?”

“Yes, that’s true, but I mean it. He loves you. He’s willing to go out of his way just to keep your relationship together- to make you happy,” Niles hummed, causing Takumi to stop cutting for a moment. He could feel his heart hammering, his nerves on fire and muscles ready to bolt. What could he be talking about? Was he calling Takumi some sort of burden to Leo? That they’d be better with just the two of them? Takumi opened his mouth, about to call Niles out on what he must have meant, but the other man continued on.

“I see why he does it. You deserve happiness too,” the sentiment was soft, sweet, and Takumi saw for a moment a bit of red at the tips of Niles’ ears before he straightened up, grabbing the tomatoes and peppers and putting them into the pan to begin cooking, “I can see why he’s so taken with you, Takumi.”

“You-” Takumi didn’t know what to say, his words catching in his throat. He swallowed, looking back at the garlic sitting half diced and bit his lip. His heart rate had slowed, but only marginally. Hadn’t he and Leo just talked about this too? 

“You should move in with us Niles,” Takumi finally blurted out, setting the knife down as to not grip it too hard. He was dangerously clumsy when nervous. The kitchen was silent save the noise of the stove, Takumi suddenly worried he had stepped too far.

“You really think so?” he could feel Niles’ gaze, adamantly refusing to meet it before realizing how rude that probably seemed. Looking up, Takumi felt his heart skip again, beating fast at something as warm as hope shining in Niles’ eyes.

“I- I do, yeah,” Takumi said lamely, biting his lip again, “I mean, you come here often enough, and besides, we were thinking about getting a bigger bed anyways- or you could stay in Leo’s office, he doesn’t use it anyways, but- but yeah, I think- we both think you should stay.” 

Takumi watched as Niles turned back to the stove, pushing around the vegetables before looking back at Takumi.

“I… would like that a lot,” he said simply, leaning forward some, “may… I kiss you, Takumi?” 

He would have answered, had the gentleness in Niles’ voice not been so foreign enough to throw him off. For a moment Takumi wondered if this was how Niles and Leo spoke when lying in bed together, hushed tones whispering compliments and requests as they pressed their bodies closer.

Instead of anything verbal, Takumi leaned forward himself, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. He could feel himself smile, heart giddy at just how goofy this probably looked, and leaned back before turning to his garlic again.

“Don’t -don’t get used to that, alright?” he muttered, still smiling as he began to dice up the garlic, “I’m not as needy as Leo is.”

“Are you two still bitching about me?” Leo was leaning against the doorframe, his sudden chiming in causing Takumi to yelp and nearly drop his knife, “hey, don’t do that-”

“Fuck off,” Takumi hissed back, checking to make sure he hadn’t cut himself before he began working again, “fucking pervert, standing there and watching us have some sort of moment.”

“Well I hadn’t expected you to actually ask him today,” Leo chuckled, making his way across the kitchen to continue pestering Takumi, “what had been your first response? Never in a million years?”

“You really said that about me Takumi? I thought we had some sort of connection-” Niles feigned hurt, causing Takumi to roll his eyes.

“Yeah right, why would I invite you here? Sure you’re a decent cook and you clean up after yourself, but you and Leo are so damn loud sometimes-”

“You can hear us from the study?” Leo had wrapped his arms around Takumi but suddenly squeezed tight, hiding his face in Takumi’s shoulder, “Gods I’m sorry, I didn’t know-”

“At least I know he’s pulling his weight around here,” Takumi waved Leo off, handing Niles the cutting board before grabbing the package of pasta and working to open it, “unlike someone else I know- Leo, stop fussing and help set the table or something. And you better clean the dishes this time-”

“That was one time I didn’t scrub the pans right- you’re never going to let that go, are you?” Leo groaned, pushing away from Takumi.

“To be fair, Takumi does have a point,” Niles chimed in, snickering when he got a glare from Leo, “you can’t cook to save your life and you’re shit at dishes. What are you doing to help out around here?” 

“I keep the lights on-”

“Sure, sure, daddy,” Niles teased, “I forgot that’s what you were, just keeping our lights on while we toil away for you like servants- oh, can we try that next time-”

“I said nothing lewd in the kitchen! I still have a knife in my hand,” Takumi made a gesture, an empty threat, and was met with laughter from the other two parties. 

Leo had been right, things moved faster than Takumi thought they would, but as Niles began to slowly bring boxes of clothes in and eventually his own mattress and chairs, Takumi found himself happy he had agreed to take a chance like this. It was unconventional, but none of them really cared. To the three of them, this was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just love sweet niles okay


	12. Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo remembers his time with Takumi fondly
> 
> Bioshock!AU : Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a three-part series, a bit darker than any of the other chapters. There will be Major Character Death, but I'm not going to tag all of my story with that for three chapters.

The sound of shoes dragging against metal can be heard echoing through a hallway, slow drips of water and the distant sound of a record scratching in the background. A hand picks at a face, Leo rubbing at another sore forming along his cheekbone. His body aches, the pain of withdrawal and abuse heavy in his bones and dragging his skin closer to the ground, but he walks on. Fresh water is a ways away, buried under the rubble of a bar overturned in the fighting, but it’s his last chance to get something clean before he has to begin boiling the saltwater. 

Not that it would be hard, he was just trying to stop depending so much on those damned plasmids. Awful, cursed things, something he had been warned about and used anyway. Rapture had descended into chaos because of awful ideologies, but plasmids had made the city absolutely uninhabitable in the aftermath.

A pipe catches his foot and Leo trips, grunting as he threw his hands out to try and brace the fall but all it does is send shocks of pain through his body and send him curling up on the ground. Leo lets himself lie here, shaking and holding onto his body, his head now throbbing from the impact. It’s another minute or two before he picks himself up, deciding to rest in a pile of rubble. It’s not the best place, no, but it’ll keep him out of the line of sight for any passing splicers.

From a satchel on his side, Leo pulls out a metal canister, drinking the last drops of water before shoving the container back into his bag. He listens to the strange silence of Rapture and thinks of a time when the halls were lined with laughter and gossip. He thinks of the time before those little monsters and their Adam ruined everything. He thinks of the days when he would pick on Elise about the type of dress she wore and not avert his eyes to whatever thing pretended to be her, gripping onto the hand of her metal monstrosity of a protector.

> “This was supposed to be our paradise. Our refuge from all those awful people on the surface. It feels like we just sentenced ourselves to an early death…”

Leo held another contraption in his hands, an audio diary which replayed tapes he had been given. Holding the tape close to his chest, Leo listened to the sound of Takumi’s voice quietly echo. He could imagine Takumi sitting in his study, pulling at his bangs and picking at his fingers as he spoke into the machine. Leo loved listening to the sound of his voice, the heaviness in his accent and the way he would slip easily between Japanese and English when complaining about his family. Leo could feel tears well in the corners of his eyes, wiping them off onto his sleeves before he could cry onto his sores and make them burn even worse.  

> “It hasn’t all been bad. At first, everything seemed alright. Even without Otou-san, we’ve made it just fine here. We aren’t ‘parasites’, as that awful Ryan likes to put it. Hell, it doesn’t even seem like people care about how heavy our accents are. That’s why we came, and it’s why we’re still here now. Things are changing, though… and not for the better.”

The tape runs for a moment, silent as if waiting for another diary to play, and Leo rubs at his eyes again, taking a moment to scratch his arms before staring at the audio diary again. The tape clicked to a finish, Leo fishing out a new one to replace this. He couldn’t stand this unbearable sadness, the feeling that his survival here was so hopeless, and longed for the memories of a night where things almost went right.

> “That night… it was certainly one to remember. I hate parties- always have and always will. But Ryoma wanted me to mingle with people my age. Said it was bad to stay cooped up studying all the time. So I went, and guess who else was there- that damned bastard from the library, Leo.”

Leo chuckles. So maybe things didn’t start out so nice, nor were they on the best of terms, but he couldn’t help the feelings which burned in his chest whenever he saw Takumi. Now that it was no longer an option, the aching hurt even worse. He didn’t want to think about how nervous he had been to ask for that dance, or the way Takumi looked at Camilla the way Leo wanted so bad, he simply wanted to remember a night that all on its own, had been good.

_The lights of the party had been blinding, brighter than anything Rapture typically had to offer, and it reminded Leo of the sun. He pulled at the neckline of his shirt, wishing for a moment he could undo another button and breath better, but Father had been adamant on following proper decorum. Just because they had left the surface behind didn’t mean they left manners at the door._

_“You look miserable,” Takumi’s voice sounded beside Leo, a drink in his hand and mask adorning his face. Sander Cohen had always adored the idea of a masquerade and it was evident in the invitations he sent out. For Takumi, the mask was of a crow, but a silky white with golden feathers framing his eyes. Leo stared for what he assumed was too long because Takumi coughed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, “maybe you have heat stroke. You seem like the kind of person to get it.”_

_“Oh hush,” Leo finally regaining his composure, happy for his own crow’s mask to hide his features, “I’m going to say I’m enjoying myself. Camilla would certainly throw a fit if she found out I wasted this time here.”_

_“I’m not going to lie, I was expecting to meet her here instead,” Takumi hummed, taking a sip of his drink, “did you father decide he’s still a racist shit?”_

_“Father has never_ not _been a racist shit,” Leo muttered, “and he didn’t ban Camilla from coming to meet you. She just thought I should get out more. Says I’m spending-”_

_“Too much time in the laboratory?” Takumi finished with a chuckle, “That’s why Ryoma sent me here. He thinks I’m not participating enough in the culture of Rapture. I don’t get what the big deal is- I mean, there were fancy parties like this on the surface all the time.”_

_“Yes, but were there parties where crazy artists banned from their craft were allowed to be put on display? Or where people came to flaunt their illegal plastic surgery?” Leo paused for a moment, tapping the beak on his mask as if pondering the question before he chuckled, “wait- yes, there were. Nothing here is different from the surface. We just pretend it is.”_

_Takumi nods his head, listening to the tinny music play over the speakers. “It’s a little better,” he hummed, looking back at Leo, “I mean, I don’t get called as many names down here. I’m actually allowed to pursue research topics rather than being pushed aside. And have you seen Doctor Suchong’s work? That never would have passed on the surface.”_

_“Takumi, none of the research down here would have passed on the surface,” Leo deadpanned, shaking his head, “I’m working with Doctor Langford on her gene splicing. It’s not even on humans and she would have been chased down like a witch for even thinking of this.”_

_“True, true,” Takumi shrugged. He finished his drink, reaching out to set the empty cup on a passing waiter’s tray, and looked back at Leo, “so I’ve heard you’ve been splicing thanks to your new job. Didn’t know Langford approved of that.”_

_Leo’s lips pulled tight, his body fidgety at the mention of the plasmids, “She didn’t. I chose to because I thought it would speed up research. Being able to tell the bees which plants to pollinate at what time is surprisingly nice. Not to mention it helps keep those pagans out of our hair.”_

_“That stuff is bad news, Leo,” Takumi muttered, “they’ve tried to recruit Sakura for the little sister program just so those plasmids can keep going. Doesn’t that scare you?”  Leo didn’t respond, not wanting to think of the last time he hugged Elise close. She hadn’t been gone for long, but it was long enough to make a difference._

_“Would you like a dance?” Leo asked, looking up at the speakers, “I’m sure you’re dying for one since my sister stood you up.”_

_“A- a what?” Takumi seemed about as flustered as Leo felt for even asking, his hands up, “N-no, I wasn’t here to dance with your sister- she’s just the one that invited me, that’s all-”_

_“C’mon,” Leo hummed, ignoring Takumi’s slight panic in favor of taking his hand. It was cold, probably from the bit of alcohol in his system, but Leo decided to ignore just how strange this felt, “Just one dance. Then I’ll tell Camilla we had fun and you can tell her you’re really not interested in men.”_

_“Gods, does she think that?” Takumi was stiff as Leo guided them into a position, being nice enough to allow Takumi to lead. He’d need the practice, after all, if he was supposed to be courting Camilla soon._

_“She thinks I have a crush on you and that you may reciprocate,” Leo said nonchalantly, denying the hope beating strong in his chest, “After all, I have no qualms about being open on my homosexuality. But I guess for her this is more a test on your feelings instead. Who will you pick, me or my darling sister.”_

_“You even sound like her,” Takumi muttered, clumsy in his steps. The music was slow, thankfully, and lent itself to an easy step pattern for Leo to try and help Takumi learn, “ugh, that makes me sound lovesick, doesn’t it.”_

_“Just a little,” Leo teased, glad he hadn’t drunk more. Any less of a stranglehold on his inhibitions and Leo would have been kissing Takumi here in front of all of Rapture. “It’s cute, I guess. You’re the first person to chase after Camilla that Xander and I both approve of, just so you know.”_

_“I should take that as a compliment,” Takumi muttered, “but it still feels strange. This isn’t you just making a baby out of me, is it?”_

_“Infantilization?” Leo raised a brow, “Xander has mentioned something like that- Ryoma complaining that she treats you like a child and that’s why we’re so okay with this. I can assure you that’s not the case.”_

_“Good,” Takumi said, “I didn’t know the right word for it, but it happens a lot on the surface. I didn’t need something like that down here too.”_

_Leo snickered, pulling apart from Takumi as the song drew to a close, and let go of his hand, “Are you sure they don’t just treat you like a child because you’re a brat?”_

_“You’re insufferable,” Takumi groaned, making a show of wiping his hands off on his pants, “You’re the one always picking fights over who gets to sit where in the library. Wouldn’t that make you more childish?”_

_“It’s not childish if I’m making a valid argument,” Leo said with a smirk, “I get paid to do my research, you’re just reading up on history books because you have nothing better to do with your time. Thus, I should be allowed the alcove you’re always taking over.”_

_“First come, first serve, yes?” Takumi retorted, picking another glass of booze from a plate. Leo wasn’t sure if it was his nerves acting up or the idea of just how loose Takumi would be in his actions when inebriated, but Leo grabbed a glass as well, intent on joining him this time._

_“Like I said, there are priorities in Rapture. Not everything is just by the luck of your timing,” Leo muttered, taking a sip._

_He’d like to say that the more inebriated the two of them became the closer they were to the splendid night Leo imagined this would be, but Takumi was surprisingly good at holding his alcohol for someone who claimed not to drink often and Leo was too afraid of ruining his sister’s chances to think of pleasing himself for a single night._

“Leo was… much nicer than I imagined. Although he may have admitted some sort of feelings for me, he was very well behaved about them. I’ve never met a man who was so open about being sexually deviant. It makes me wonder if other people I know think the same- if society has just conditioned us to believe that a man has to marry a woman. I would like to think, had my… affections, maybe is the right word- for Camilla not been so strong, I could also have explored a deviancy like Leo had. Rapture certainly would be the place to do so.”

The tape spins for another fifteen seconds of silence before Leo clicks it off. The next diary was Takumi complaining of his lack of nerve when it came to speaking with Camilla, and Leo isn’t keen to hear those details a second time. Not that they were incriminating, just… the idea of knowing he hadn’t had a chance to begin with still stung.

Leo packs the tape away gently, making sure the recordings were safely tucked in his bag before he starts moving again. His fingers were itchy, the sound of buzzing in his mind, and Leo wonders for a moment if there may be Adam someplace on his way to fresh water. He hums a song under his breath, remembering a single dance so many nights ago, and hopes that on the surface, Takumi and Camilla are safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original Bioshock is set in 1960, with all the pre-shit show stuff being from the 50’s. Hence the overt racism against Japanese people and LGBTQ+ folk.


	13. Fading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xander would like to forget
> 
> Bioshock!AU: Chapter 2  
> Archive Warning: Major Character Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you don't know anything about Bioshock, just know Elise is called a Little Sister, and has been brainwashed to think Rapture is completely fine so she can do her job of collecting this genetic goo called Adam. Xander is her protector, called a Big Daddy, and has also been 'conditioned' to protect her at all costs.  
> The series is beautifully fucked up and that's why I really enjoy these three chapters I wrote for the universe.

Everything is… fuzzy. Xander can barely recognize his own name. There are other names like that, Camilla, Leo, Ryoma. Elise. Her name is the only he truly knows, the only one he can hold onto. He pounds the metal siding, waiting patiently for his little girl to come out. Elise takes her time, crawling out of the tubing with a grunt before reaching out.

“It’s time to go, Papa,” she calls with a smile, grabbing tight to Xander’s arms. He wants to say ‘no’ and remind her of… something, but it’s all too fuzzy really. Instead, he helps her down, warmth in his chest. She’s getting taller every day, something which both makes him proud and worries him. Soon she won’t fit into her hidey-hole any longer- soon she’ll start to remember, and that’s what scares him most. He’s seen the older girls and they terrify him. Will his Elise become like that?

“Don’t be a slow-poke, Papa,” Elise pulls on his hand, walking patiently beside Xander as he takes lumbering steps. He hopes today is easy. Even so, the splicers seem to come out of nowhere without end. Every day he thinks they may finally be alone, only to find another assailant coming after his little Elise.

She chatters on about the angels, about the rose petals they leave behind for her to follow, and Xander wants to hold this moment close. She still doesn’t know just how bad things are and that’s alright with him.

“Oh,” her voice is soft as she stops, bare feet patting in place as she points to a limp body, “this one isn’t ready just yet, huh Papa?” Xander sees her eyes, sees the life they’re missing but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he lets out a low grunt, affirming her suspicions, and stands tall, ready to walk again. His noise wakes the body, a yelp coming from its direction. Xander moves quick, pulling Elise behind him as he raises his other arm in anticipation, but the body is silent.

There’s a dark mask covering the face, but Xander feels the pull of his memories. Messy blond hair is long and he wonders if anyone in his past looked like this. The body is mostly still, chest heaving in fright as it struggles to breathe, and Xander uses his free hand to take off the mask. The face below is covered in pockmarks as if this splicer has been picking his face too much. What looks like hives run along his neck and hands and Xander is certain they probably cover his body too. Even with the disfiguration, he knows this face.

“Le-o-” Xander’s throat hurts as he speaks, voice deep and raspy and still butchered from all those experiments years ago. Yes, that’s what it was, that’s how he became like this- experiments so he could become a protector of the little ones. So he could see Elise again.

The body shivers, pulling in on himself, and Xander finds a crushing weight on his chest. This is someone he knows from before all this, someone he loved and wanted to save from this madness. Elise was taken too early, but his baby brother too?

“Papa who’s Leo?” Elise peeks around his leg, causing the man in front of him to flinch in response. She’s too curious to notice, tip-toeing closer to get a better look instead.

“Elise,” Leo croaks, his body obviously spent from all the Adam, “you don’t… know me?” Xander wants to scream. He does make a low rumbling sound, pulling Elise back from her brother. She can’t remember now. If she starts to remember things will all go bad for the both of them. Xander picks her up, turning and lumbering away from the body. He can visit his brother after she’s safely tucked away.

He returns to find Leo dying. His breathing is slow and labored, his eyes fluttering shut every now and again. Xander says nothing, only kneeling down beside Leo to watch his face. He wants to hold him close, to whisper that things will be alright and they’ll all get out safely, but it’s futile. Leo seems to understand and fills the silence himself.

“She’s taller now,” he says, coughing a few times before he can continue, “I’ve seen the big ones, but… she’s still safe.” Xander makes a sound to acknowledge what Leo’s said, his fingers drumming nervously. He doesn’t know if his brother remembers everything, but Xander hopes he does. He hopes Leo can remember the sun shining and the feeling of warmth from sitting in front of a fire with a good book. He hopes his baby brother remembers smiling and how it was to live before all the itching and crying over Adam withdrawal.

“Please keep her safe. Please don’t let her become one of those- t-those _things_ ,” Leo has tears in his eyes, just beading up in the corners, and Xander lets out a soft whine himself. He wants to scream at his father, to go back in time and save them from this awful prison they trapped themselves in, but there is no time for that. Instead, he sets a heavy hand onto Leo’s shoulder, hoping to convey some warmth.

Leo coughs again and shudders, a grimace crossing his face. It’s obvious he’s becoming panicked as the realization that these are his final moments truly sets in. Leo clutches tightly to Xander’s glove, his voice catching as a few tears fall, but no amount of holding on will save him. It’s over all too soon, Leo’s body going slack just moments later, and the silence around them is deafening.

Xander stares for a moment, wondering if he’s been hallucinating. Surely this… this can’t be true. He looks down and sees a tape clutched tightly in Leo’s hands and slowly removes it, tucking it away before glancing back up. He hopes this is a prank, Leo trying to get a laugh out of him with some morbid humor, but seeing the lifeless eyes confirms it all. His baby brother is dead before him.

His crying is long and loud. Even if he was Alpha series, he wasn’t made to be silent. If anything that made the painful moans worse. They echoed through his helmet, his sobbing reverberating in his chest as his memories slowly trickled back. Xander pulls Leo’s body close, picking it up slowly. He cradles his baby brother, still shaking as he stands. There is no good place to bury him in this underwater hell, but Xander hopes he can find a bed somewhere nearby. Some place he can lay Leo to rest where Elise won’t find him again.

Xander’s steps fall heavy against the metal of Rapture, the ambient sounds of leaky pipes and fraying electric wires disappearing as he retreats into his own mind. Leo’s slack body is a continual reminder of his failure, Xander pauses for a moment to pull his brother back into his grip before lumbering on again.

Somewhere in his mind the memories of better times surface. Of when Leo scraped his knees on the road and cried all day long, and when he adamantly refused to acknowledge that the next day. He remembered when Elise was born, and Leo stared so curiously at her, as if he couldn’t believe there was a human smaller than him. Xander remembers the way that Leo cried on his bed when Takumi arrived to take Camilla on their first date together, how he sat in silence with a hand on his back.

Everything was numb, now, and his mind felt fuzzy again. Finding a bed was harder than he expected, but the apartment complex was coming up soon. Then he could lay Leo to rest and this horrible nightmare- well, it wouldn’t be over, but Xander simply hoped the fuzziness would come back. Something to dull the pain, at least.

The apartment he finds is turned upside down, books littering the floor and the furniture upheaved. Xander sets down Leo, making his way to the bedroom and righting the bed. He took a moment to make things look nice, grabbing books from the shelves and placing them along side the bed. They weren’t flowers and this wasn’t pretty, but Leo would have found it funny. Buried with his books…

Xander placed him gently on the bed, taking his time to make sure he didn’t rough up the body too much. He pressed his hand against Leo’s head, running through messy hair before he began to cry again. Xander stood suddenly, taking one last look at his brother’s body before leaving the room. He shut the door with enough force to break it- hopefully closed to any splicers hungry enough to keep snooping in this place, and began throwing the other furniture in the room against it to be blocked. By the time he was done a small mountain of objects blocked the way, Xander heaving one last sigh before he turned. Elise needed to be out soon. She wouldn’t sit still for long.

 

 

“Papa, what is this?” Elise held tightly to the tape Xander had handed to her, looking it over curiously. He didn’t answer, not bothering to even affirm he had heard her, combing through a lab looking for something to play it on instead. It had been a few days since his breakdown, but all he could think of was hearing the sound of his brother’s voice again. Xander hadn’t remembered if Leo actually used audio diaries or not, but his clinging to these tapes meant something to him.

The recorder he found was embedded into a desk, making Xander groan. Sitting in one place would lead to a higher chance of splicers coming, but his need for closure was too strong. Xander pointed to the tape deck, gesturing for Elise to use it. Her little fingers would have a better time of that than his.

It took a few moments, but soon there was sound coming from the recorder. It seemed to be scuffling at first, the sound of an agitated sigh and some Japanese before the voice came through.

 

> “Is this working? Nii-san- no, no stop- I can do this just fine!”

There was more Japanese spoken, between two people this time, before the recording evened out again. Xander was guessing this was… Takumi, the boy Leo had pined after so long. It made sense his brother had carried these recordings so close.

 

> “Rapture is a bad place. I have to do these dumb diary things because Okaa-san thinks they’ll keep me from going crazy. I hate not having the sunlight down here. It smells funny- I can say what I want Hinoka! This is my recording- get your own-!” The tape stopped short after what sounded like a tussle, a few moments pause before the next recording started.

Xander and Elise sat together for a while, cycling through the recordings and listening to this stranger’s life play out. Xander can only remember bits and pieces of the boy on the tape, mostly how his sister would fawn over how embarrassed he could get and the way Leo’s tears would catch on his lashes the night he and Xander sat in silence together. Everything after that was fuzzy, too much interference from those awful, awful experiments to remember what had happened to Takumi or Camilla or Leo until right now.

 

> “It’s New Years Eve,” the voice said, sounding strangely nervous, “I have plans to invite- ah, Sakura, just a minute. Let me finish this first.” There’s a cough and the sound of fabric shuffling before Takumi speaks again, “I’m going to invite Camilla to come with me to the New Years dance. Leo told me about how she loves those parties, so… even if I don’t, I think it would be a cute idea. I hope she likes it. Sakura is coming as well- don’t tell anyone, but she has a crush on Leo. I don’t think she’s realized he doesn’t exactly look at women that way, but it’s taken her so long to gather this much confidence, it would be criminal to tell her no.”

Xander lets out a soft hum, looking up to watch Elise hop along the tiles. New Years Eve was the last time anyone had been together, he supposed. His vision was cloudy as he tried to recall that night, only knowing that it had been the first time Elise was truly in danger by those awful splicers. Rapture had quickly descended into chaos caused by the civil war, but all Xander had cared about was keeping Elise safe.

The tape picked up again, the soft din of people laughing and chattering in the background denoting a change in location.

 

> “Takumi, get that out of my face-“

Xander sat up, body ridged as Leo’s voice came across clear on the recorder. Elise had stopped playing, turning to look at the tape deck.

 

> “Come on, Leo, have a little fun,” Takumi’s voice was heard next, his intonation giving away that he wasn’t completely sober. There was some laughing from a softer voice, one Xander guessed was Sakura, before the two boys began to talk again.
> 
> “I want to know your wishes for the new year! You’re working on some cutting edge things, yes? Just pretend like this is some important interview,” it was easy to hear Takumi smiling, just as it was to Xander to know Leo was being more reserved than he would have expected for a party.
> 
> “Yes, I’ve been helping down in Arcadia. Trying to increase the output of oxygen provided by the garden, of course, so that we can expand Rapture when the time comes. More people come down every week, it’s only a matter of time before Mr. Ryan starts on the next section-“
> 
> “Ok, now tell me about your personal goals,” Takumi cut Leo off, “Are you finally gonna get that scowl spliced off your lips? Or maybe take some dancing lessons?” The giggling was heard again, Takumi laughing soon after, “Yeah, Sakura, I never did tell you did I? Leo’s a terrible dancer. You’ll have to show him how it’s done tonight.”
> 
> “I’m not going to that freaky butcher of a doctor,” Leo was clearly upset, “no, I don’t need any more splicing than I’ve already done. Some fire to speed the lab work along and that beekeeping plasmid have been incredibly useful, but I’d like to keep from going over the deep end-“

The tape skipped suddenly, as if paused and then resumed, and Xander’s heart sunk. Screaming could be heard, with the sound of panicked feet hitting the ground following behind.

 

> “Quickly, back to the apartments-“ Leo shouted before there was another crash. The sound of snapping fingers was heard before the sound of an explosion, Xander guessing Leo had used his plasmids against whatever was attacking them, “Takumi take Camilla with you, I have to-“
> 
> “You have to come with us! My family has a bathosphere, we can make it out of here-“
> 
> “I’m not leaving Takumi, not yet at least. I have to get my research-“
> 
> “You’re going to get research?! Did you not just see the men who came to kill us? You’ll die before you can reach Arcadia!”
> 
> “Takumi I-“ there was more crashing, Leo swearing and the sound of angry buzzing soon filling the tape. Xander watched as Elise crossed the room, sitting at his feet, “Takumi just go, please! Your family was never meant to stay down here, and neither was Camilla. I’m-“
> 
> “You can still come to the surface-“
> 
> “I can summon fire with my hands, Takumi! There is no place for me up there!” Leo swore again, his voice growing distant for a moment as the sounds of gunshots rang clear. There was a pause, another snap of the fingers and explosion before Leo got close again.
> 
> “You have to get out of here Takumi, please. You’re the only way Camilla can get out alive- don’t let her try to come for me,” there was a sound of rustling, a soft sigh, the tape falling eerily quiet for a moment. Xander worried it had cut off here, sitting up to fiddle with the tape deck before Leo spoke again, “I wish we didn’t have to depart like this. There are a lot of things I wished to talk to you about. Keep my sister safe. Tell her I love her.”
> 
> “W-wait-“ there is more shuffling, the sound of clips being undone before Takumi’s voice sounds further away, “take that. Keep it close, and… When you get out of here, return it. Okay?” Another long pause happened before gunshots sounded in the distance.
> 
> “O-okay,” Leo said shakily, and the tape cut off abruptly.

Xander sat in silence, his hands gripping tight at the armor around his legs. Even though he had listened to these with the hopes of hearing Leo again, he had never expected it this way. His form shook, sobs wracking his chest deeply again, and Elise climbed into his lap.

“I miss big brother,” she said softly, arms wrapping around Xander, “that… that was big brother, right Papa?” Xander made a soft noise, his hand rubbing at her back, and held her close. “I hope… I hope he’s okay… Big sister too…” Xander felt nervous, clutching Elise tight to his chest. He hoped this was all she remembered, hoped the memories would only come back slowly and leave Elise from suffering the terrible fate of remembering all the carnage they had seen together.

Xander was rewarded with silence as the tape deck clicked to announce its end, Elise sniffling softly and she leaned against Xander.

“Papa,” her voice was quiet, “I’m getting sleepy… Will we go looking for angels tomorrow?” Xander stands, keeping Elise in his arms as he heads to a safe vent to let her crawl into. He lets out a noise, an affirmation, and Elise smiles. As they leave the room, Xander forgets the tape, the corners of his mind growing fuzzy again. It will take time, he knows, but he hopes the static will come back all the way again. It would be nice to just remember Elise, and none of the other pain this place has brought him.


	14. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet sunrise puts Takumi's mind at ease.
> 
> Bioshock AU: Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the final installment of the bioshock AU. More mentioned character death in this one.

The sound of rushing cars will never get old to him. It’s a constant noise, something droning and low and soothing to his tired bones in the early morning. Takumi feels a cold breeze cross his face and takes a deep breath, savoring the freedom he can feel. His mind wants to remind him of dark, musty air, of the fans that would blow something fake and canned to help people pretend they were somewhere other than the bottom of the sea, and he gags a bit. 

“It’s been a while since you came up here,” Camilla sits beside Takumi, leaning her head against his shoulder. It’s a moment before he wraps an arm around her, pulling her close. Takumi is certain he never would have adjusted to all of Camilla’s doting and contact if they had met on the surface, but it’s said traumatic events are something to bond over.

“I haven’t had a nightmare in a long while,” Takumi hums, letting his fingers brush gently through tangled hair, “Sometimes it’s hard to predict what will make me think of that place. To think this time, Kiragi would sound like one of those little girls…”

“I know, honey,” Camilla pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before cuddling close again, “you don’t have to explain it to me. I… I saw what happened down there too.”

The cool night continues on and in this safety Takumi allows himself to remember what was left behind. Ryoma had never made it to their bathosphere- Hinoka said he had gotten too tangled in the fighting while trying to keep the school children safe. It had been a miracle she had even escaped. While Hinoka had been intent on dying right along side Ryoma, she had been pulled into a nearby escape pod by Azama, one of the other teachers. It had taken weeks for her to find Takumi and Camilla on the surface, but he could remember the absolute joy of being reunited once more.

Sakura had gotten out with them, and to this day she still came to visit every Sunday. While it was clear Rapture hadn’t left nearly the impact on her as it had her older siblings, sometimes Takumi would get a phone call late at night and hear gentle sniffling on the other end. Sometimes he would speak comforting words, but mostly they sat in shared silence as his own tears would fall, and by the next visit everything would have smoothed over.

“Forrest wants to go to the beach,” Camilla hummed, her fingers wrapped around Takumi’s hand, “do you think we’ll be ready?”

“You don’t have to go,” Takumi said softly, feeling the gentle squeeze at his hand, and pulled her closer, “I’m sure Sakura would love to join us. She could bring Kaden along too- It’ll be a good test to see if he’s father material.”

“He may be a bad influence on Kiragi,” Camilla frowned, “I’m surprised your sister is so enamored with him. He’s a little wild.” 

“Camilla, Kiragi is a bad influence on himself. I’m certain Kaden won’t be too awful,” Takumi sighed. He tried not to think about the taste of saltwater and the way it had stung his sores as they swam to the rescue boat. Gods Camilla had been so pale for so long. Even in the moonlight now, he could see echoes of that time, before she baked in the sun and burnt from head to toe to try and erase the evidence. 

“Mm…” her hum wasn’t an answer, and Takumi kept quiet to hear the rest of what she would say, “I suppose I’ll come along with you. It’s not like I have to go swimming, after all.”

“I’ll be right there with you, if you want to,” Takumi assured, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, “We’ll be safe and sound. I promise.”

“Okay,” Camilla said softly, “I… I guess…”

They remained quiet for a while, gentle oranges and purples heralding the arrival of the sun. Takumi squeezed Camilla’s hand, kissing her forehead once more with a smile. They didn’t often watch the sunrise, not since his nightmares had become more scarce, but Takumi had always found it a nice way to start the day.

“Do you want to go in?” He asked, stretching out his legs, “We’re early enough we could probably get a good breakfast going for the boys.”

“Does this mean you’re going to help?” Camilla teased, nudging his arm.

“I’ll make the rice, alright?”

“Just rice? We can’t live on just rice-”

“Okay- okay maybe… eggs too?” Takumi asked with a sheepish smile, laughing when Camilla nudged him again. He grinned, wrapping his arms around her.

“I guess I can settle for eggs,” Camilla laughed as well, hugging him close, “maybe- just for Kiragi’s sake- some pancakes?”

“Pancakes sound good too,” Takumi relented, allowing Camilla to pull him into the house. With the soft noise of cars rolling and birds beginning to sing the arrival of sunrise, Takumi felt his heart lighten. As the squeals of one son and the soft complaining of the other joined, Takumi felt a smile break out onto his face- one to last throughout the morning.


	15. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> progress in their journey and in their relationship, Leo and Takumi continue on towards Windmire
> 
> Continuation of Lock and Key

“Don’t ever call me by that name,” it’s a simple statement, clear and to the point. Leo nods his head, peering up at the leaves rustling in the wind. It's been another few nights of travel through the Nohrian countryside. While they were able to obtain another horse for Takumi to ride, it would be another night or two before they would hit a large city and need to disguise Takumi further.

“I didn’t think to,” he answers truthfully, “if I had known the discomfort it caused you, I would have refrained that first night as well. Please excuse me for that.”

Takumi remains silent for a moment or two, though Leo can feel his eyes on him. He nearly turns to ask in irritation what is wrong, but Takumi finally speaks up to cut him off.

“I don’t understand why you’re so nice about all this,” Takumi’s voice is low, possibly meant to be muttering, but Leo can still hear him all the same, “don’t get me wrong, it’s refreshing, but even with the whole ‘you don’t have to marry my brother and go through this crazy plan’... it’s just a bit weird. Are you tricking me to let my guard down?” The unspoken statement of ‘it’s working’ hangs in the air, though Leo doesn’t address it.

“Xander isn’t interested in men,” Leo says simply, adjusting his reins as they round a corner, “so I wouldn’t push marriage to you on him. Not to mention… it’s nice to know someone in a similar situation to mine.”

“So you too?” Takumi’s question hangs in the air, Leo giving himself time to think. He has only opened up to Elise on this matter and even then was an accident.

“It’s no secret to my family that I am attracted predominantly to men,” Leo begins, “while my father has shown express disdain, there has never been Nohrian law against same-sex relations or marriage. Still, I find myself unable to fully express myself under his watchful eye.”

“That’s not entirely like my situation,” Takumi frowned, “it’s not the same thing-”

“I know! I know, I’m not trying to compare them. It’s simply…  I’ve never felt comfortable calling myself a man. I present as one, and I guess I’ve grown accustomed to it- and really, I don’t feel like I want to be called a woman, it’s just… not the same. My attraction to men would be easier to explain if I could say, ‘ah yes, I’m supposed to be a woman, so it would make sense I like men’ or something along those lines. The problem is, it’s not as if I want to be a woman either- Does any of that make sense?” Leo felt flustered from his blathering on, red beginning to show on his cheeks, “gods I don’t know if I’ve ever phrased that right. I’ve only told my youngest sister, I doubt it makes much sense.”

Takumi hummed, not bothering to catch Leo’s gaze, and shrugged his shoulders, “so you don’t feel like either? I’ve never really considered that an option. Not to say that’s how I am, but it’s interesting to think about.”

“I would still prefer you refer to me as male- as clinical as that sounds. It’s what I’m used to. But in a perfect world, perhaps I would have had the freedom to experience life a bit differently,” Leo hummed, turning his gaze to Takumi. For a moment there was just the breeze between them, the sound of slow walking horses and rustling leaves, but it was worth the awkward tension to see Takumi flash a smile his way.

“This world may not be perfect, but we can at least leave it better than we found it.”

 

Their conversations slowly branched out from there. Having finally found someone to complain about societal norms with, Leo feels free to express his disdain with the Nohrian court and even the prejudices his siblings have and show, whether on purpose or accident. Takumi indulges him with information about Hoshido and their court system as well. While it all would seem like useless information to someone like his father, Leo sits rapt with attention as Takumi complains of their avid use of his deadname and pronouns, poking fun at the old nasties himself and offering consolation when he can.

It’s the first time Leo has found a kindred soul, and he soon finds this true in more ways than one. Takumi is well versed in war strategy and history, as any prince should be, but Leo finds they also share a love of the philosophy of a just war and peacetime. At more than one campsite they try to stump the other with logic puzzles and riddles, Leo mostly reciting those which Elise used to try and trick him up with and Takumi giving problems that Ryoma had written in letters. The closer they get to Windmire, the closer Leo finds himself to Takumi. Leo feels as if Takumi is the friend he has longed for his entire life, and he only prays that Takumi feels the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once more it stands: anything that seems badly worded or wrong please hit me up. I'm really in love with what little plot I've written for this AU so I'm going to continue on with it.


End file.
